SENIOR ASSEMBLY PROPOSAL NO. 14

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER KARR

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AP 14:  ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH.

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 28 OF THE 2003-04 REGULAR SESSION PROCLAIMED MAY 2003 AS ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH AND URGED ALL CALIFORNIANS TO BE AWARE OF ELDER ABUSE AND TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ON WAYS TO PREVENT THE MISTREATMENT OF VULNERABLE OLDER ADULTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF MAY EVERY YEAR AS ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH AND WOULD CALL UPON ALL CALIFORNIANS TO TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT THE MISTREATMENT OF ELDERLY AND DEPENDENT ADULTS.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

AP 14:  RELATING TO ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

WHEREAS, CALIFORNIA RECOGNIZES THAT SENIOR CITIZENS AND DEPENDENT ADULTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO NEGLECT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL, AND FINANCIAL ABUSE; AND

WHEREAS, THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER HAS INCREASED IN THIS COUNTRY, AND SO HAS THE INCIDENCE OF ELDER ABUSE.  UNFORTUNATELY, THE PREVALENCE AND NATURE OF THIS GROWING PROBLEM HAS GENERALLY REMAINED HIDDEN FROM PUBLIC VIEW; AND

WHEREAS, IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT ONE OUT OF EVERY 20 SENIORS 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER WILL BE A VICTIM OF SOME FORM OF ABUSE.  ONLY ONE IN FIVE CASES OF ABUSE IS REPORTED BECAUSE THE VICTIMS ARE ASHAMED, HELPLESS, OR AFRAID OF THE ABUSER; AND

WHEREAS, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL CENTER ON ELDER ABUSE, PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM THE 2000 SURVEY OF ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES (APS) AGENCIES IN THE COUNTRY FOUND THAT APS AGENCIES RECEIVED 472,813 REPORTS OF ELDER ABUSE OR MISTREATMENT IN 2000; AND

WHEREAS, THE MORTALITY RATE OF AN ABUSED ADULT IS THREE TIMES THAT OF THE SAME AGE ADULT WHO HAS NOT BEEN ABUSED; AND

WHEREAS, ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE IS A CRIME THAT IS INDISCRIMINATE IN ITS TARGETS, CROSSING SOCIOECONOMIC, GENDER, RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND EDUCATIONAL BOUNDS AND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION; AND

WHEREAS, ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULTS ARE DESERVING OF SPECIAL CONSIDERATION AND PROTECTION, SIMILAR TO THE SPECIAL PROTECTIONS PROVIDED FOR MINOR CHILDREN, BECAUSE THEY ARE A VULNERABLE POPULATION WHO ARE OFTEN TARGETED BY PREDATORS; AND

WHEREAS, ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE IS A COMMUNITY PROBLEM AND FINDING SOLUTIONS DEPENDS ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY; AND

WHEREAS, UNITED STATES SENATOR JOHN BREAUX HAS INTRODUCED LEGISLATION IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE, THE ELDER JUSTICE ACT, TO CREATE A NATIONAL FOCUS ON ELDER ABUSE TO INCREASE DETECTION, PREVENTION, PROSECUTION, AND VICTIM ASSISTANCE; AND

WHEREAS, RECOGNIZING SUSPECTED AND ACTUAL ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE THROUGH INCREASED AWARENESS IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD THE PREVENTION OF SUCH ABUSE; AND

WHEREAS, PRIVATE CITIZENS AND PUBLIC AGENCIES MUST WORK BOTH INDEPENDENTLY AND COLLABORATIVELY TO COMBAT CRIME AND VIOLENCE AGAINST ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULTS; AND

WHEREAS, CALIFORNIA MUST ENSURE THAT ITS ELDER GENERATION, WHICH HAS MADE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE, CAN LIVE THEIR LIVES WITH THE DIGNITY AND RESPECT THEY DESERVE; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SENIOR SENATE, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2003 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DESIGNATE THE MONTH OF MAY EVERY YEAR AS ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE LEGISLATURE ENCOURAGE ALL CALIFORNIANS TO BECOME AWARE OF ELDER AND DEPENDENT ADULT ABUSE AND LEARN THE WAYS TO RECOGNIZE AND REPORT INCIDENTS OF ELDER ABUSE AND FURTHER EDUCATE THEMSELVES ON WAYS TO PREVENT THE MISTREATMENT OF ELDERLY AND DEPENDENT ADULTS; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

RN0316356

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