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6/15/2021 Senate OKs bill lowering elder financial exploitation age
STATE HOUSE – The Senate marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day today by approving legislation sponsored by Sen. Cynthia A. Coyne to lower the age at which a victim can be considered an elder under the state’s elder financial exploitation law.

The bill, which now goes to the House of Representatives addresses an inconsistency in Rhode Island’s elderly abuse laws and helps ensure that all such cases can be appropriately prosecuted.

Although existing state law requires Rhode Islanders to report exploitation of any person age 60 or older, a person cannot be charged with elder financial exploitation unless the victim is at least 65. The bill (2021-S 0670) passed by the Senate today lowers that threshold to 60 to match the reporting statute.

“This legislation closes a confusing and unintended gap between our requirement to report abuse and when charges can be brought for elder financial exploitation. Ultimately, it also protects more Rhode Islanders. Our law needs to provide for the broad range of forms that elder exploitation can take. These crimes are not limited those who are no longer able to handle their own finances. It can happen to adults who simply have their adult children or a friend listed on their bank accounts as a precaution. A wider definition allows for more of the possibilities that arise, and ultimately provides greater protection to Rhode Islanders,” said Senator Coyne (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence).

The legislation is cosponsored by Sen. Ana B. Quezada (D-Dist. 2, Providence), Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski (D-Dist. 37, South Kingstown, New Shoreham), Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence) and Sen. Dawn Euer (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown).

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, established by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations, is marked annually on June 15 as a day to promote efforts to address and prevent elder abuse in all its various forms.

Senator Coyne, who chaired a task force from 2018 to 2019 on elderly financial exploitation, has sponsored several bills at addressing such abuse, including one that passed the Senate last month (2021-S 0264A) to require financial institutions to train employees to recognize indicators of elderly financial exploitation, and on their obligation to properly report it and place a hold on suspicious transactions.


For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923