Legislation to create and publicize a public database of offenders who have abused the elderly or adults with disabilities passed the State Senate April 26 by a bipartisan, unanimous vote.
State Sen. James Maroney (D-Milford), who co-chairs the Aging Committee, said this legislation will provide peace of mind to the elderly and their families.
“Connecticut is the sixth oldest state in the nation, and as investigations of elder abuse have doubled in the past several years in our state, it is vital to our community to protect this populace and this bill is a step in the right direction,” Maroney said. “I look forward to continue working with all my colleagues to get this bill signed into law.”
Senate Bill 832, “An Act Concerning Registries of Persons Found Responsible For Assaults or Other Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation or Abandonment of Elderly Persons or Persons with Disabilities,” will create a public database combining existing registries of offenders who have been convicted of assault or any form of abuse.
The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection will establish and maintain the database and the Department of Health will publish the database on its website. The executive director of the Commission on Women, Children and Seniors will also provide a portal on its website which links to publicly available databases.
Twenty-six states are using elder abuse registries, according to the National Adult Protective Services Association. Despite some estimates ranging as high as five million elders being victims of abuse each year, only one in 14 cases are reported to the authorities, according to the National Council on Aging. Elders who have been victims of abuse have a 300 percent higher risk of death compared to elders who have not been abused, according to the NCOA.
“Other states have taken this step in order to protect their elderly community and we must do the same,” Maroney said. “This legislation will ensure that everyone has the necessary information to keep their loved ones safe from abuse, neglect or exploitation. These heartbreaking cases of abuse are preventable, and I am pleased we are moving in the right direction to ensure the elderly, adults with disabilities and their families no longer have to suffer.”
Before Senate approval, SB 832 was successfully voted out of the Aging Committee by a unanimous vote. The bill now awaits action the House of Representatives. If enacted, the legislation will go into effect on no later than Jan. 1, 2020.
State Sen. James Maroney speaks in favor of a bill that passed the Senate April 26 to create a registry of offenders who have abused the elderly or adults with disabilities. Contributed photo.
It is about time. Washington State is probably NOT on this list. We don’t have laws to protect spouses from spouses. It has been a long, expensive road to protect my incapacitated mother from emotional abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation from her husband. I want to know more about this effort.