Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2009

Floor Speech

Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2009 -- (House of Representatives - February 10, 2009)

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 448) to protect seniors in the United States from elder abuse by establishing specialized elder abuse prosecution and research programs and activities to aid victims of elder abuse, to provide training to prosecutors and other law enforcement related to elder abuse prevention and protection, to establish programs that provide for emergency crisis response teams to combat elder abuse, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Georgia?

There was no objection.

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the second elder justice bill we are considering today is the Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2009. The House passed this bill on suspension last September by a vote of 387-28, but the Senate did not have time to consider it before adjournment.

It is estimated that each year, as many as 5 million elders are abused, neglected, or exploited. And the incidence of elder abuse is likely to only get worse in coming years, as 76 million baby boomers reach retirement age.

The legal protections against elder abuse vary significantly from State to State. The problem of elder abuse is especially problematic as many abuse cases remain secret and are never reported. The National Center on Elder Abuse has estimated that only one in six cases is reported.

H.R. 448, the Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2009, sponsored by the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Sestak, will help provide training, technical assistance, and other support, to State and local law enforcement officials to help them catch and prosecute those who would prey on our elders.

The bill will authorize funding for specialized elder justice police officers and units, as well as for special elder justice positions and units within State and local prosecutors' offices and courts.

It will also provide other services to elders who are victimized. In addition to training for health care, social, and protective service providers, it establishes the Elder Serve Victim Grant Program with regional emergency crisis response teams. These teams will provide short-term emergency services to elder victims, including shelter, care services, food, clothing, transportation to medical or legal appointments, and other life services as warranted.

Finally, the bill requires the Attorney General and the GAO to examine State and Federal laws, practices, and initiatives, and to recommend ways to more effectively address this problem. This bill comes to the floor amended to more clearly define the role of the Comptroller General in conducting its study and reporting to Congress.

In addition to Joe Sestak, I want to commend the gentleman from New York, Peter King, for his leadership in making this a bipartisan initiative. I would also like to acknowledge our former colleague from Illinois, Rahm Emanuel, for his work on this issue.

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