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Committee hears bill to let courts freeze assets quickly in suspected financial exploitation of vulnerable adults
Summary
Senate File 2,146 would create a civil injunction allowing courts to freeze or restrain transfers when a vulnerable adult faces financial exploitation. Attorneys and a family member of a victim testified that faster relief could have preserved assets; the bill was laid over for further consideration.
Senate File 2,146 would authorize a civil petition and expedited hearing to obtain an injunction restraining financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, including the ability to serve a remote or online scammer by the same method used to contact the victim.
Certified elder-law attorney Jill Sauber testified that the current tools commonly used — emergency conservatorship or protective proceedings — are time-consuming and costly and often allow perpetrators to move funds before a conservator can act. "This injunction would allow us to stop the bleeding right away, get in, freeze the assets before the transaction maybe even takes place, or reverse it immediately," Sauber said.
A family member, Vicki Larson, described how her mother, Barbara Casey, was contacted through social media and scammed over several months in 2022. Larson said the family began conservatorship proceedings but it took months and the family estimated losses rose from a few thousand dollars to about $40,000 by the time a conservator was appointed. "If we don't know who the scammer is, where they live, we can't normally provide notice of any sort of proceedings," Sauber added, noting the bill would permit service by the same electronic means scammers use.
Sponsor Senator Westlund said the bill closely models existing protections in domestic-protection order law and would include enhanced criminal penalties for violating an injunction. Committee members asked whether the targeted population met the statutory definition of "vulnerable adult" and discussed how to balance individual autonomy with protection. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion and further drafting.
