Elder Abuse Review Teams Bill Heads To Senate

By News Service of Florida

Published January 27, 2020 at 8:11 AM EST

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Recent studies show, elderly people want close relationships with people they care about, satisfying social roles and a sense that their lives have value.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday backed a bill that would establish in law elder-abuse fatality review teams.

The proposal (SB 400), sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville, would allow the teams --- comprised of representatives of law-enforcement agencies, medical examiner’s offices, area agencies on aging and the state Agency for Health Care Administration, among others --- to be established in each judicial circuit to review deaths of seniors.

Gibson’s bill is now ready to go to the full Senate. The House of Representatives is advancing a similar measure (HB 253), with the House Oversight, Transparency & Public Management Subcommittee approving the bill unanimously on Wednesday. Florida has the highest percentage of senior residents in the nation.