Emmer proposes bill to support fight against elder abuse

U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) on May 4 introduced legislation to combat elder abuse of Americans aged 60 years and older.

“This legislation would be an important step in providing law enforcement and our first responders with the resources they need to protect our aging community members,” Rep. Emmer said on Monday.

The congressman introduced the Senior abuse Training and Offense Prevention (STOP) Act to create a specialized grant program to help law enforcement, first responders and existing community efforts combat elder abuse, according to a bill summary provided by his office.

“In Minnesota and across the nation, we have seen instances of elder abuse in our communities that could have been prevented,” said Rep. Emmer. “We must do everything within our power to detect and report these crimes.”

If enacted, the STOP Act would award grants to eligible entities, on a competitive basis, to provide training, technical assistance, multidisciplinary coordination, policy development, and other types of support to police, sheriffs, detectives, public safety officers, corrections personnel, and other first responders who handle elder justice-related matters, to fund specially designated elder justice positions or units designed to support first responders in elder justice matters, according to the text of the bill.

The grants would be administered and awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and would supplement DOJ’s existing law enforcement programs, according to Rep. Emmer’s bill summary, which noted that a portion of the awarded funds also would support measuring the effectiveness of the programs.

“I have seen firsthand communities across Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District recognize the prevalence and seriousness of instances of neglect and abuse of our elderly citizens,” Rep. Emmer said. “They have come together to find collaborative partnerships to combat these terrible injustices. I am advocating for this grant program in order to bolster their existing efforts.”

The bill has garnered support from the Minnesota Elder Justice Center.