Elder Justice Act

Bill: 110-hr-1783
Sponsor: Rep. Emanuel, Rahm [D-IL-5]
Introduced: 2007-03-29 in the House
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Aid to dependent children
Block grants
Caregivers
Cash welfare block grants
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Crimes against the elderly
Criminal investigation
Criminal justice information
Data banks
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Justice
Directories
Drugs
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Elder abuse
Employee training
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to health facilities
Federal aid to law enforcement
Federal employees
Fines (Penalties)
Forensic medicine
Fraud
Fringe benefits
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Health
Health information systems
Higher education
Informers
Inspectors general
Internet
Labor and Employment
Law
Legal education
Licenses
Long-term care
Medicaid
Medical personnel
Medicare
Nursing
Nursing homes
Old age assistance
Ombudsman
Paramedical personnel
Performance measurement
Police training
Prosecution
Public prosecutors
Quality of care
Recruiting of employees
Relocation
Salaries
Science, Technology, Communications
State laws
Strategic planning
Tax credits
Victims of crimes
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: 
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish an Elder Justice program under title XX (Block Grants to States for Social Services).
 

 
Establishes within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC).
 
Establishes the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation.
 

 
Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to establish stationary and mobile forensic centers, to develop forensic expertise regarding, and provide services relating to, elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
 

 

 

 

 
Directs the Secretary to provide incentives for individuals to train for, seek, and maintain employment providing direct care in a long-term care (LTC) facility.
 

 
Directs the Secretary to make grants to LTC facilities to: (1) offer continuing training and varying levels of certification to employees who provide direct care to LTC facility residents; and (2) provide bonuses or other benefits to employees who achieve certification.
 

 
Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to assist LTC facilities in offsetting the costs for standardized clinical health care informatics systems designed to improve patient safety and reduce adverse events and health care complications resulting from medication errors.
 

 

 

 
Directs the Secretary to ensure that HHS: (1) provides funding to state and local adult protective services services offices that investigate reports of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (2) collects and disseminates related data in coordination with the Department of Justice.
 
Establishes a program of annual adult protective services grants to states.
 

 
Directs the Secretary to make grants to eligible entities to: (1) improve the capacity of state LTC ombudsman programs to respond to and resolve abuse and neglect complaints; and (2) conduct pilot programs with state or local LTC ombudsman offices.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish programs to provide and improve ombudsman training for national organizations and state LTC ombudsman programs.
 

 
Amends part A of SSA title XI to require each individual owner, operator, employee, manager, agent, or contractor of an LTC facility receiving certain federal support to report to the Secretary and local law enforcement entities any reasonable suspicion of crimes occurring in such facility.
 
Requires the owner or operator of such an LTC facility to notify the Secretary and the appropriate state regulatory agency of a facility's impending closure, as well as a plan for the transfer and adequate relocation of facility residents.
 
Directs the Secretary to study and report to the EJCC and appropriate congressional committees on establishing a national nurse aide registry.
 
Directs the Attorney General to: (1) study and report to the EJCC, the Advisory Board, and Congress on state laws and practices relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (2) develop and implement a long-term plan for elder justice programs and related activities.
 
Authorizes the Attorney General to award advocacy grants for study of elder abuse victim needs.
 
Directs the Attorney General to award grants to provide training and other types of support to local and state prosecutors as well as police and other front line law enforcement responders handling elder justice-related cases.
 

 
Requires increased Department of Justice support for federal cases involving elder justice.
 

 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to create a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-06-11
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2008-06-11
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2008-05-14
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2008-05-13
text: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
action_date: 2008-05-13
text: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2008-05-06
text: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2008-05-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2007-06-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.
action_date: 2007-04-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support.
action_date: 2007-04-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-03-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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: 2007-03-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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: 2007-03-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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: 2007-03-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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: 2007-03-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Introduced in House