I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2610 

To establish a Senior Scams Prevention Advisory Council to collect and 

disseminate model educational materials useful in identifying and preventing scams that affect seniors. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 9, 2019 

Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER (for herself and Mr. WALBERG) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To establish a Senior Scams Prevention Advisory Council 

to collect and disseminate model educational materials 

useful in identifying and preventing scams that affect 

seniors. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop Senior Scams 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. SENIOR SCAMS PREVENTION ADVISORY COUNCIL. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Senior 

3 Scams Prevention Advisory Council (referred to in this 

4 Act as the ‘‘Advisory Council’’). 

5 (b) MEMBERS.—The Advisory Council shall be com6 posed of the following individuals or their designees: 

7 (1) The Chairman of the Federal Trade Com8 mission. 

9 (2) The Secretary of the Treasury. 

10 (3) The Attorney General. 

11 (4) The Director of the Bureau of Consumer 

12 Financial Protection. 

13 (5) Not more than 2 representatives from each 

14 of the following sectors, including trade associations, 

15 to be selected by the Chairman of the Federal Trade 

16 Commission: 

17 (A) Retail. 

18 (B) Gift card. 

19 (C) Telecommunications. 

20 (D) Wire-transfer services. 

21 (E) Senior peer advocates. 

22 (F) Consumer advocacy organization with 

23 efforts focused on preventing seniors from be24 coming the victims of scams. 

25 (G) Financial services, including institu26 tions who engage in digital currency. 


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1 (H) Prepaid cards. 

2 (6) A member of the Board of Governors of the 

3 Federal Reserve System. 

4 (7) A prudential regulator, as defined in section 

5 1002 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 

6 2010 (12 U.S.C. 5481). 

7 (8) The Director of the Financial Crimes En8 forcement Network. 

9 (9) Any other Federal, State, or local agency, 

10 industry representative, consumer advocate, or enti11 ty, as determined by the Chairman of the Federal 

12 Trade Commission. 

13 (c) DUTIES.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Council shall, 

15 while considering public comment— 

16 (A) collect information on the existence, 

17 use, and success of model educational materials 

18 and programs for retailers, financial services 

19 providers, and wire-transfer companies, that— 

20 (i) may be used as a guide to educate 

21 employees on how to identify and prevent 

22 scams that affect seniors; and 

23 (ii) include— 

24 (I) useful information for retail25 ers, financial services providers, and 


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1 wire transfer companies for the pur2 pose described in clause (i); 

3 (II) training for employees on 

4 ways to identify and prevent such 

5 scams; 

6 (III) the best methods for keep7 ing employees up to date on the latest 

8 scams; 

9 (IV) the most effective signage 

10 and best placement for signage in re11 tail locations to warn seniors about 

12 scammers’ use of gift cards, prepaid 

13 cards, and wire transfer services; 

14 (V) suggestions on effective col15 laborative community education cam16 paigns; 

17 (VI) available technology to as18 sist in identifying possible scams at 

19 the point of sale; and 

20 (VII) other information that 

21 would be helpful to retailers, wire 

22 transfer companies, financial institu23 tions, and their employees as they 

24 work to prevent fraud affecting sen25 iors; and 


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1 (B) based on the information collected 

2 under subparagraph (A)— 

3 (i) identify inadequacies, omissions, or 

4 deficiencies in such educational materials 

5 and programs for the categories listed in 

6 subparagraph (A) and their execution in 

7 reaching employees to protect seniors from 

8 scams; and 

9 (ii) create model materials that fill 

10 those inadequacies, omissions, or defi11 ciencies. 

12 (2) ENCOURAGED USE.—The Chairman of the 

13 Federal Trade Commission shall, after the public 

14 comment period is complete— 

15 (A) make the model educational materials 

16 and programs and information about execution 

17 of the programs described in paragraph (1) 

18 publicly available; and 

19 (B) encourage the use and distribution of 

20 the materials created under this subsection to 

21 prevent scams affecting seniors by govern22 mental agencies and the private sector. 

23 (d) REPORTS.—Section 101(c)(2) of the Elder Abuse 

24 Prevention and Prosecution Act (34 U.S.C. 21711(c)(2)) 

25 is amended— 


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1 (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

2 the end; 

3 (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period 

4 at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

5 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(E) for the Federal Trade Commission, 

7 include information on— 

8 ‘‘(i) the Senior Scams Prevention Ad9 visory Council’s model educational mate10 rials and program, any recommendations 

11 of such Advisory Council, and any views or 

12 considerations made by members of the 

13 Advisory Council or by public comment 

14 that were not included in the Advisory 

15 Council’s model materials or considered an 

16 official recommendation by the Advisory 

17 Council; 

18 ‘‘(ii) the Senior Scams Prevention Ad19 visory Council’s findings about senior 

20 scams (including information about the 

21 ways scams affect seniors, including the 

22 negative effects on their well-being); and 

23 ‘‘(iii) any recommendations on ways 

24 stakeholders can continue to work together 

25 to reduce scams affecting seniors.’’. 


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1 (e) TERMINATION.—This Act, and the amendments 

2 made by this Act, cease to be in effect on the date that 

3 is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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