Elder Justice Act

Bill: 109-hr-4993
Sponsor: Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-3]
Introduced: 2006-03-16 in the House
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Advice and consent of the Senate
Arts, Culture, Religion
Caregivers
Church and social problems
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer education
Continuum of care
Crime and Law Enforcement
Crimes against the elderly
Criminal justice information
Criminal statistics
Data banks
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Justice
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Elder abuse
Employee selection
Employee training
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal aid to law enforcement
Federal aid to the aged
Federal libraries
Fines (Penalties)
Forensic medicine
Geriatrics
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publications
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Health
Higher education
Housing and Community Development
Human experimentation in medicine
Identification of criminals
Income tax
Indian medical care
Labor and Employment
Law
Long-term care
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical ethics
Medical personnel
Medicare
Minority business enterprises
Minority health
Nonprofit organizations
Nursing homes
Ombudsman
Paramedical personnel
Patients' rights
Personnel records
Presidential appointments
Prosecution
Public health personnel
Public prosecutors
Quality of care
Recruiting of employees
Religion
Research centers
Rural health
Scholarships
Science, Technology, Communications
Social work
State laws
Tax credits
Taxation
Victims of crimes
Volunteer workers

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: 
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new title XXII (Elder Justice) to establish: (1) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of Elder Justice (OEJ); (2) within the Office of the Secretary the Elder Justice Coordinating Council to make recommendations to the Secretary and the Attorney General for the coordination of activities of HHS, the Department of Justice, and other relevant federal, state, local, and private agencies and entities, relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and other crimes against elders; and (3) the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation.
 
Prescribes requirements for uniform collection, maintenance, and dissemination of national data relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including an Elder Justice Resource Center in OEJ.
 
Authorizes the HHS Secretary to award grants for: (1) prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (2) five Centers of Excellence nationwide specializing in research, clinical practice, and training relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (3) six diverse communities to examine various types of elder shelters and test various models for establishing safe havens; (4) nonprofit organizations and faith-based organizations to establish or continue volunteer programs focusing on the issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, or providing related services; and (5) various multidisciplinary elder justice activities.
 
Provides for: (1) reporting to law enforcement of crimes occurring in federally-funded long-term care facilities; (2) revising the quality of long-term care; and (3) increasing consumer information about long-term care, including an HHS long-term care consumer clearinghouse.
 
Amends: (1) the Older Americans Act of 1965 with respect to the long-term care ombudsman program; (2) part A (General Provisions) of SSA title XI to establish an adult protective services grant program; (3) SSA titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to assure safety of residents when nursing facilities close; and (4) part E (Miscellaneous) to apply skilled nursing facility preventive abuse requirements to long-term care facilities and providers.
 
Establishes within the Department of Justice an Office of Elder Justice. Authorizes the Attorney General to award: (1) victim advocacy grants; and (2) grants for specified support to local and state prosecutors handling elder justice-related cases.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-05-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Select Education.
action_date: 2006-04-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman .
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-03-16
text: Introduced in House