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After Dallas elder murders, committee hears substitute to require background checks and transparency in senior living communities
Summary
Sen. Parker’s SB 1283 would mandate criminal-history checks for employees and third-party providers at senior retirement communities, require disclosure of criminal incidents to residents, and protect residents’ right to communicate with law enforcement, supporters said.
Sen. Parker laid out the committee substitute for Senate Bill 12-83, saying the measure responds to murders of residents in Dallas by a maintenance worker who used employment access to commit crimes and was never adequately screened.
"Lack of sufficient background checks directly led to his ability to access and murder these individuals," Sen. Parker said, urging the committee to adopt measures that would increase safety and transparency in senior living communities.
Invited witnesses included Andrea Earl of AARP Texas and Lauren Smith of Secure Our Senior Safety; both supported the bill. Andrea Earl for AARP said the substitute is an "important first step in safeguarding the well-being of seniors" and praised provisions to protect residents’ ability to report crime without retaliation.
Lauren Smith, who described her mother as a victim of the Dallas serial perpetrator, told the committee: "SB 12-83 highlights three common sense easy practices for senior independent living centers: background checks; sharing information of criminal activity with the residents; and ensuring law enforcement access to residents during investigations." She said sharing information would have allowed victims to avoid contact with the trespasser.
The substitute requires criminal history checks, transparency about third-party service providers, a communications policy for criminal incidents, and protections that allow residents to contact law enforcement and family members. The bill also directs facilities not to restrict residents from reporting crimes and authorizes law enforcement to access common areas during investigations, according to the author.
AARP and national referral-industry representatives later testified on a related committee substitute (SB 13-83) concerning senior-living referral agencies; Beverly Grossman of A Place for Mom supported changes to referral-agency rules paired with consumer protections.
Sen. Parker said the substitute cleans up non-substantive drafting issues and the committee closed public testimony and left SB 12-83 pending for further consideration.
