Elder Justice Act

Bill: 111-hr-2006
Sponsor: Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-3]
Introduced: 2009-04-21 in the House
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Aging
Allied health services
Crime prevention
Crime victims
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal justice information and records
Department of Health and Human Services
Employment and training programs
Executive agency funding and structure
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Income tax credits
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Law enforcement administration and funding
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicaid
Medicare
Neurological disorders
Nursing
Poverty and welfare assistance
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2009-04-21
text: 
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act 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, analyze, and report to Congress, the Secretary, and the states on state laws and practices relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; and (2) develop objectives, priorities, policies, and a long-term plan for elder justice programs and activities.
 
Requires the Comptroller General to review and report to Congress on existing federal programs and initiatives in the federal criminal justice system relevant to elder justice.
 
 
Authorizes the Attorney General to award victim advocacy grants to eligible entities to study the special needs of victims of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
 
Directs the Attorney General to award grants to provide: (1) training, technical assistance, policy development, multidisciplinary coordination, and other types of support to local and state prosecutors and courts, as well as employees of state Attorneys General and Medicaid Fraud Control Units handling elder justice-related matters; and (3) similar types of support to police, sheriffs, detectives, public safety officers, corrections personnel, and other front line law enforcement responders who handle elder justice matters to fund specially designated elder justice positions or units designed to support front line law enforcement in elder justice matters.
 
Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to reauthorize the missing Alzheimer's Disease patient alert program.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit. 
 

 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-06-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.
action_date: 2009-05-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
action_date: 2009-05-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
action_date: 2009-04-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-04-21
text: Referred to House Education and Labor
action_date: 2009-04-21
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-04-21
text: Referred to House Judiciary
action_date: 2009-04-21
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: 2009-04-21
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-04-21
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-04-21
text: Introduced in House