Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2020

To amend the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act to authorize the Elder Justice Initiative, to require that online resources of such initiative are made available in Spanish, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2020 2. Elder justice initiative Section 101(b) of the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act ( 34 U.S.C. 21711(b) (b) Elder justice initiative (1) Permanent initiative The Attorney General shall establish within the Criminal Division an Elder Justice Initiative to coordinate criminal enforcement and public engagement efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud and scams that target elders, and to support and coordinate the efforts of the Elder Justice Coordinators designated under subsection (a). (2) Department of Justice Elder Justice Coordinator The Attorney General shall designate an Elder Justice Coordinator within the Department of Justice who, in addition to any other responsibilities, shall be responsible for— (A) coordinating and supporting the law enforcement efforts and policy activities as the head of the Elder Justice Initiative for the Department of Justice on elder justice issues; (B) evaluating training models to determine best practices and creating or compiling and making publicly available replication guides and training materials for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, emergency responders, individuals working in victim services, adult protective services, social services, and public safety, medical personnel, mental health personnel, financial services personnel, and any other individuals whose work may bring them in contact with elder abuse regarding how to— (i) conduct investigations in elder abuse cases; (ii) address evidentiary issues and other legal issues; and (iii) appropriately assess, respond to, and interact with victims and witnesses in elder abuse cases, including in administrative, civil, and criminal judicial proceedings; and (C) carrying out such other duties as the Attorney General determines necessary in connection with enhancing the understanding, prevention, and detection of, and response to, elder abuse. (3) Online public resources The Elder Justice Initiative shall maintain and publish on the internet, information aimed at protecting elders from fraudulent schemes and contain resources aimed at preventing elder abuse. (4) Spanish language resources The Attorney General shall ensure that Elder Justice Initiative online resources are available in Spanish and link linguistically appropriate resources to inform Spanish-speaking elders of Federal and State resources to combat fraud and abuse that targets the elderly, to include— (A) Spanish-language resources and links that help report instances of elder fraud and abuse to State and local law enforcement; and (B) resources that help prevent financial exploitation of elders. . December 31, 2020 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Summary: Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2020 This bill provides statutory authority for the Elder Justice Initiative, which coordinates activities of the Department of Justice to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud.