New SC Legislation Aimed at Preventing Abuse and Trafficking of Seniors to be Introduced This Week

Legislation will be introduced this week in the State Senate that proposes the creation of the "Senior Trafficking and Exploitation Reform of 2014" in South Carolina. On Wednesday, February 19, 2014, at 11:00 a.m., Lieutenant Governor Glenn McConnell and Senator Thomas Alexander, Chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Aging, will hold a press conference in the Lower Lobby of the State House to discuss specifics of the proposed legislation.

The Senior Trafficking and Exploitation Reform of 2014 seeks to deter persons who have previously manipulated the system by closing existing loopholes, increasing penalties for those who knowingly and intentionally cause harm, and by addressing new forms of abuse and exploitation that were not recognized or defined by previous law. The 1993 Omnibus Adult Protection Act did not protect all seniors and limited their protections. This legislation is a proactive approach to preparing South Carolina for a large influx of older adults, who are becoming increasingly vulnerable to new forms of clever schemes and creative tactics by scammers and predators alike.

"There have been cases reported, for instance, where unscrupulous predators trolled emergency rooms looking for elderly persons without any stable home environment to return to after being discharged from the hospital," said South Carolina's chief advocate for seniors, Lieutenant Governor Glenn McConnell. "These predators will promise a place to live and care in exchange for the elderly person’s monthly income, but in reality, this elderly person may receive sub-standard care while their money has now been handed over to a potential criminal."

While the Senior Trafficking and Exploitation Reform of 2014 legislation maintains many of the effective policies contained in the Omnibus Adult Protection Act, the proposed bill's language draws from legislation passed in other states, such as Florida and Alabama, in an effort to strengthen our own state laws and expand the protections afforded to all persons age 60 and older from the perils of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and human trafficking. The act also ensures fairness by protecting certain innocent parties intending goodwill.

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New Legislation Aimed at Preventing Abuse and Trafficking of Seniors