State Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver, R-27, whose district includes Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and a portion of Luzerne counties, is among those working to review and revive two bills that were introduced last year and received no further action or advancement in the legislative process.
The work of these lawmakers and task force members demonstrates an important commitment to the protection of those who often don’t have the ability to protect themselves. We hope other state lawmakers take notice and help transform these proposals into new laws.
Senate Bill 261, introduced on Jan, 31, 2023, and sponsored by Sen. Culver, and Sens. Doug Mastriano, R-33, of Adams and Franklin counties, and Patrick J. Stefano, R-32, of Bedford, Somerset, Fayette and part of Westmoreland counties, would add crimes committed against non-verbal, care-dependent victims to the list of offenses that could be prosecuted at any time — not subject to statute of limitations constraints. Other crimes not subject to time limits include murder, voluntary manslaughter, violations relating to fatal accidents and crimes against law enforcement personnel or those caught in involuntary servitude, such as sexual trafficking, among others.
“Care-dependent individuals do not always have the cognitive or verbal ability to communicate crimes committed against them, such as rape, sexual assault, simple assault, aggravated assault and abuse or neglect,” Sen. Mastriano wrote in a memo. “In many cases, these crimes are discovered by family members after the statute of limitations has already run out.”
Senate Bill 885 would create a statewide registry of those found to have abused people living in care facilities.
The registry information, which would include the perpetrator’s name, Social Security number, age, sex and address, would not be made public, but would be available for reference by care facility administrators.
Those placed on the list could immediately appeal the decision and could ask to be removed from the list after five years, and annually after that, the bill states.
Sen. Culver said the task force is reviewing the provisions with the goal of making them better, if possible.
“We wanted to discuss the impacts and the consequences that we may not have intended, and then get it back to the task force for review. We will recirculate it (in the Senate) for co-sponsorship and then reintroduce it,” she said. “We really want this to be a comprehensive bill that cleans the language up so that law enforcement has the tools necessary to make arrests and the district attorney offices have the tools necessary to prosecute. Once we get this through, our plan is to look at other ways to strengthen the laws that protect our senior citizens.
“We’re not going to stop until we feel our seniors are adequately protected.”
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Task force joins fight against elder abuse
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