Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia’s Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2020 Marked Up in the House Judiciary Committee

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) had her Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2020 marked up by the House Judiciary Committee. This bill woulddirect the Attorney General to establish the Elder Justice Initiative within the Department of Justice Criminal Division. The Elder Justice Initiative would be responsible for coordinating criminal enforcement and public engagement efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud and scams that target elders.

"The Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2020 is a critical step in making sure that our seniors can live with dignity and respect, and that they are not the targets of scams that can seriously jeopardize their retirement," said Congresswoman Garcia. "This is an important goal that has only become more necessary in the wake of COVID-19. Due to greater isolation and quarantine measures, more seniors have been targeted by scammers who are taking advantage of the pandemic to hurt our seniors. And unfortunately, it has become easier for abuse, neglect, and fraud to go undetected. Congresswoman Garcia added, "This is why the Elder Protection Act of 2020 is such an important piece of legislation. It will ensure that our seniors, who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, have the peace of mind that the federal government is working to protect them. No senior should be the victim of abuse, neglect, and/or fraud."

The Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2020 would:

• Make the Elder Justice Initiative a permanent office within the Department of Justice Criminal Division that would be responsible for overseeing Elder Justice Coordinators, who are assigned to each United States Attorney's Office;
• Require the Elder Justice Coordinators to evaluate training models and best practices to create publicly available materials for local law enforcement and public officials tasked with investigating, interacting with victims of elder abuse, or addressing elder abuse;
• Mandate that the Elder Justice Initiative maintain and publish information aimed at protecting elders from fraudulent schemes and include resources aimed at preventing elder abuse; and
• Require the Attorney General's Office to translate into Spanish any online resources that the Elder Justice Initiative publishes, and to post Spanish-language links that facilitate reporting of elder fraud and abuse to state and local law enforcement and help educate the public to prevent the financial exploitation of elders.

Click here to read the full bill text.

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Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent the Texas 29th Congressional District. She serves on the House Judiciary and Financial Services Committees.