Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elder Financial Abuse topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate adopts measure to improve coordination on elder financial abuse, citing large statewide losses
Summary
Senators unanimously approved a bill directing the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to coordinate with district attorneys on suspected elder financial abuse and to help determine investigative approaches; sponsor cited an estimate that seniors lose over $500 million annually to financial exploitation.
Chairman Massey said the bill authorizes the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to coordinate with district attorneys in the appropriate judicial district when a report of specific suspected elder financial abuse is received.
"Basically, it gives them the discretion to determine the best investigative approach," Chairman Massey said, and said the policy is intended to ensure resources are used efficiently and to allow coordination with prosecutors and other agencies as needed. Massey told the chamber that more than "$500,000,000 is stolen from our seniors every year," citing the scale of the problem as justification for continued legislative attention.
The floor moved the House bill (conforming) and the Senate voted; the clerk announced Ayes 32 and no nays, and the chair declared the measure passed without objection. Sponsors said the bill builds on prior work including a call line for financial institutions to report suspected abuse and aims to keep the issue in front of law enforcement and community stakeholders.
The bill was adopted on third and final consideration and the motion to reconsider was tabled. Implementation and any reporting requirements were discussed in committee and referenced on the floor; transcript notes a reporting and coordination function for TBI with local prosecutors.
