Stuart-Sponsored Bill to Combat Elder Abuse Becomes Law

SPRINGFIELD – To protect vulnerable older adults from abuse, state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, sponsored a measure to increase reporting and investigation on elder abuse as a culmination of her work on the Illinois Elder Abuse Task Force. The governor signed Stuart’s measure into law on July 26.

“Over the last two years, I have worked with a variety of stakeholders to understand the cause of elder abuse and what we can do to better protect seniors in our communities,” said Stuart. “I want to thank everyone who worked on the task force and everyone who was involved in crafting this landmark legislation.”

Stuart sponsored Senate Bill 701, which makes several changes to the Adult Protective Services Act. The measure designates abandonment as a form of abuse, extends the statutes of limitations for financial fraud, creates a risk assessment tool to identify individuals at risk for abuse, adds friend or acquaintances as a person of trust for financial exploitation and increases trauma-informed training for caregivers. 

 “The work on the Elder Abuse Taskforce, along with improvements realized through this legislation, will improve identification and reporting to prevent cases of underreporting and help keep our seniors safe,” continued Stuart. “I look forward to continued work to fight elder abuse and neglect within our community.”