To protect the state’s aging population and vulnerable adults, the Michigan Senate takes bipartisan action to implement tools to better detect and address cases of abuse
LANSING, Mich. (Oct. 16, 2024) — Elder abuse and exploitation is a serious and growing concern for Michigan seniors, and today, the Michigan Senate voted in a bipartisan fashion to enhance protections for vulnerable adults. Senate Bills 922–925, introduced by Senators Veronica Klinefelt (D-Eastpointe), Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), and Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), would strengthen penalties for abuse and financial exploitation offenses and develop programs to bolster prevention efforts. In response to the Senate’s passage of the legislation, Sen. Hertel, sponsor of Senate Bill 924, issued the following statement:
“One of the best measures of a society is how it treats its older and vulnerable citizens. Throughout their lives, they supported us and built us up, and as they age, it’s our responsibility to ensure that every senior is afforded the basic measure of security and dignity they deserve. With this legislation, we’re taking steps to fulfill this duty and provide critical protections for our aging Michiganders.”
Specifically, Sen. Hertel’s legislation, Senate Bill 924 which garnered unanimous support, would extend legal protections beyond a vulnerable adult’s death, ensuring that offenders who continue their schemes posthumously face the same penalties as if the exploitation had occurred while the vulnerable adult was alive.
Read more about the package here.
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