{"id":113,"date":"2020-10-22T23:52:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-23T04:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecommunitypress.org\/legislation-to-prevent-elder-abuse\/"},"modified":"2022-09-14T10:10:28","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T15:10:28","slug":"legislation-to-prevent-elder-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecommunitypress.org\/legislation-to-prevent-elder-abuse\/","title":{"rendered":"Legislation to Prevent Elder Abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) cosponsored H.R. 8169, the Elder Abuse Protection Act, important legislation to prevent elder abuse and improve law enforcement\u2019s ability to interact with and respond to senior citizens who may have been victims of fraud and financial exploitation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation\u2019s Internet Crime Complaint Center 2019 Internet Crime Report, the Center received over 68,000 complaints from victims over the age of 60 with adjusted losses in excess of $835 million. This is especially important in the wake of COVID-19, which many experts have found has led to a significant increase in the number elder abuse cases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA society is judged by how it treats its elders,\u201d said Congressman Gonzalez. \u201cUnfortunately the data shows that seniors in nursing homes and care facilities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and abuse during the pandemic. I am proud to cosponsor the Elder Abuse Protection Act because we must take care of our senior citizens and give law enforcement the tools to identify and react to elder abuse when it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2020 would:<\/p>\n\n\n\n