Published: Last Updated Thursday, July 10, 2008 10:30 PM PDT
A bill that sailed through the state Senate and Assembly that will protect seniors from financial abuse has been signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The legislation, SB 1164, authored by state Sen. Jack Scott, gives investigative auditors of the Department of Justice the power to serve search warrants on financial institutions, Internet service providers and telecommunication companies to help expedite investigations of elder financial abuse, he said.
“The California Department of Justice estimates thousands of seniors are the victims of financial abuse every year, and the problem threatens to grow worse as the graying population increases,” Scott said in a statement. “With this bill, we’re moving one step closer to putting these con artists out of business.”
Current law warrants that justice department investigators must be accompanied by special agents if they suspect fraud has been perpetrated against a senior citizen. Scott’s legislation would eliminate the duplicative effort, “speed up the process and save an estimated $80,000 annually,” his office said.
The bill’s passage was never in doubt, from introduction in March to Schwarzenegger’s signing on July 8. It was unanimously passed by the Assembly on June 26 and the Senate on April 17.
SB 1164 will go into effect on Jan. 1
SOURCE: Glendale Newspress
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1 comment:
Are lottery scams considered financial abuse so that the various county public guardians are authorized under the Probate Code to investigate? Is this considered strictly something to be investigated by consumer fraud organizations? There appears to be no policy in California for lottery scams perpetrated on the elderly.
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