SB3267eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB3267 Engrossed LRB096 18611 KTG 33993 b

AN ACT concerning aging.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Elder Abuse and Neglect Act is amended by changing Section 3.5 as follows:

(320 ILCS 20/3.5)

Sec. 3.5. Other Responsibilities. The Department shall also be responsible for the following activities, contingent upon adequate funding:

(a) promotion of a wide range of endeavors for the purpose of preventing elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and self-neglect in both domestic and institutional settings, including, but not limited to, promotion of public and professional education to increase awareness of elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and self-neglect, to increase reports, and to improve response by various legal, financial, social, and health systems;

(b) coordination of efforts with other agencies, councils, and like entities, to include but not be limited to, the Office of the Attorney General, the State Police, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, the State Triad, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the Departments of Public Health, Public Aid, and Human Services, the Family Violence Coordinating Council, the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority, and other entities which may impact awareness of, and response to, elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and self-neglect;

(c) collection and analysis of data;

(d) monitoring of the performance of regional administrative agencies and elder abuse provider agencies;

(e) promotion of prevention activities;

(f) establishing and coordinating an aggressive training program on the unique nature of elder abuse cases with other agencies, councils, and like entities, to include but not be limited to the Office of the Attorney General, the State Police, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, the State Triad, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the State Departments of Public Health, Public Aid, and Human Services, the Family Violence Coordinating Council, the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority, and other entities that may impact awareness of and response to elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and self-neglect;

(g) (Blank) solicitation of financial institutions for the purpose of making information available to the general public warning of financial exploitation of the elderly and related financial fraud or abuse, including such information and warnings available through signage or other written materials provided by the Department on the premises of such financial institutions, provided that the manner of displaying or distributing such information is subject to the sole discretion of each financial institution; and

(g-1) providing financial institutions with training materials and information concerning financial exploitation of the elderly and related financial fraud or abuse to be used by a financial institution for its personnel with direct customer contact and to be made available to the general public; such information shall include signage or other written materials and shall contain relevant toll-free telephone numbers for reporting such fraud or abuse; the Department shall also develop and make available an online training program for use by financial institution employees with direct customer contact; such online training shall be utilized by financial institutions unless such financial institutions utilize training programs which must minimally include the elements contained in the Department on Aging Program; and

(h) coordinating efforts with utility and electric companies to send notices in utility bills to explain to persons 60 years of age or older their rights regarding telemarketing and home repair fraud.

(Source: P.A. 93-300, eff. 1-1-04; 93-301, eff. 1-1-04; 94-1064, eff. 1-1-07.)