Seniors

Rep. Berrios would like to take this opportunity to inform you about some of the legislation she worked on this year for senior citizens. Below are House Bill 5098 and House Bill 1689 also included is a brief explanation of each.

The safety of seniors is of Representative Berrios’ upmost concern and in order to better identify the abuse of elders, Representative Berrios has co-sponsored HB 5098. This legislation provides that the curriculum for probationary police officers will include courses pertaining to the recognition of elder abuse and neglect and crimes against the elderly.

In order to decrease the crimes against the elderly, Representative Berrios supported HB 1689 which increases the penalties for financial exploitation crimes against elderly or disabled persons. This bill also elevates a financial exploitation offense to a Class X felony if the value of the property is worth $100,000 or more, or if the value of the property is $50,000 and the victim is an elderly person over 70 years of age.