Senior Citizen Protection Act of 2017

To direct the Attorney General to establish guidelines for a model elder abuse registry and to provide grants to States for establishing and operating such a registry, and for other purposes. 1. Short Title This Act may be cited as the Senior Citizen Protection Act of 2017 2. Model elder Abuse Registry (a) In general Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish guidelines for States to design and implement elder abuse registries. (b) Contents The guidelines established under subsection (a) shall be designed to provide guidance to States to do the following: (1) Identify which types of individuals to place on an elder abuse registry, including— (A) individuals convicted of a crime involving elder abuse; and (B) individuals found by a State agency to have committed elder abuse. (2) Provide, for each individual placed on the registry, the information to be included for such individual in the elder abuse registry, including— (A) the circumstances surrounding the elder abuse; (B) the type of abuse committed; and (C) the relationship of the individual to the victim. (3) Prior to placement on the registry, notify each individual to be placed on the registry of such individual’s placement on the registry. (4) Provide, for each individual to be placed on the registry, the opportunity to appeal placement on the registry within a reasonable period of time before such individual’s placement on the registry. (5) Provide the duration of placement on the registry. (6) Provide for the removal of individuals who should no longer be placed on the registry. (7) Make elder abuse registries readily accessible to the public, including by— (A) posting the information contained in the registry onto the Internet; and (B) making the registry readily searchable. (c) Consultation In developing such guidelines under subsection (a), the Attorney General shall consult with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the appropriate public and private entities. 3. Grants (a) In general The Attorney General may make grants to States for establishing and operating elder abuse registries. (b) Application A State may apply for a grant under this section at such time and in such form as the Attorney General may require. (c) Use of Funds The recipient of a grant under this section shall use the funds to— (1) establish an elder abuse registry that substantially conforms to the guidelines established pursuant to section 2; and (2) enact legislation requiring entities that provide health care services or long-term care to elders in the State to check the State elder abuse registry before hiring individuals for such services to ensure that such individuals have not been found by a State agency to have committed elder abuse. 4. National elder Abuse Registry Beginning, not less than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish and maintain a national database of content from State elder abuse registries that substantially conforms to the guidelines established pursuant to section 2. 5. Definitions In this Act: (1) The term abuse (2) The term caregiver (3) The term elder (4) The term elder abuse (5) The term exploitation (6) The term fiduciary (A) means a person or entity with the legal responsibility— (i) to make decisions on behalf of and for the benefit of another person; and (ii) to act in good faith and with fairness; and (B) includes a trustee, a guardian, a conservator, an executor, an agent under a financial power of attorney or health care power of attorney, or a representative payee. (7) The term neglect (8) The term mistreatment (9) The term State

Summary: Senior Citizen Protection Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish guidelines for states to design and implement elder abuse registries. DOJ may award state grants to establish and operate such registries. Additionally, DOJ must establish and maintain a national database that contains information from state elder abuse registries.