Illinois' 115th State House District issued the following announcement on April 2.
State Representative Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) earned unanimous support from the Illinois House for legislation aimed at curbing elder abuse in Illinois. Bryant says the idea for the legislation came from a concerned citizen that lost a family member to elder abuse by a fellow relative.
“The case that was brought to me was really heartbreaking, and I just felt that something needed to be done to strengthen our efforts when the Department of Aging is investigating crimes of elder abuse,” Bryant said. “I am pleased to know that my colleagues in the House felt strongly enough about this issue to vote unanimously in support.”
HB 3065 makes a change to the Adult Protective Services Act. The legislation, if passed, directs the Department of Aging to contact as many family members as they can find during any investigation of elder abuse. Bryant says it is sad, but true that some family members become violent with seniors that are in their care, and that often times the abuse can go unnoticed and unreported.
“We want to give every protection we can to the most vulnerable citizens whose lives depend on proper care,” Bryant said. “As a member of the Human Services Committee, I want to do all that I can as a legislator to curb the very serious issue of elder abuse.”
Having received unanimous House support, HB 3065 heads to the Illinois Senate for consideration.
Original source can be found here.
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