Bill package increases protections for senior citizens

State Reps. Doug Wozniak, Diana Farrington, Sarah Anthony, Tenisha Yancey and Kyra Bolden submit their elder abuse plan to the House enrolling clerk today.

State Reps. Doug Wozniak and Sarah Anthony today announced a bipartisan plan to combat elder abuse and establish increased protections for Michigan’s senior population.

The representatives said elder abuse is a serious crime that is becoming more and more common. These additional protections and increased criminal penalties will ensure people think twice before targeting or taking advantage of older adults.

“Senior citizens are one of our most vulnerable populations, and they’re increasingly becoming targets of crime,” said Wozniak, R-Shelby Township. “We must establish stronger deterrents to protect our seniors and empower others to help them.”

The eight-bill bipartisan plan will add legal protections for adults age 65 and older and establish increased criminal penalties for individuals who financially or physically abuse vulnerable and elder adults.

“Our seniors have given so much to our state. As public servants ourselves, we owe it to elder members of our community to support and protect them,” said Anthony, D-Lansing. “The unfortunate reality is that these strong men and women are too often perceived as vulnerable and are therefore targeted at a higher rate. This legislation will give our advocates the tools they need to effectively prosecute bad actors and combat elder abuse in our state.”

Other sponsors include Reps. Diana Farrington (R-Utica), Vanessa Guerra (D-Saginaw), Graham Filler (R-DeWitt), Kyra Bolden (D-Southfield), Tenisha Yancey (D-Harper Woods) and Kathy Crawford (R-Novi).

The plan will be formally introduced on Tuesday.

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