KOHL STATEMENT ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ELDER JUSTICE ACT
Mr. KOHL: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as if in Morning Business for up to five minutes.
Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for the Elder Justice Act of 2009. As in previous years, I am proud to be an original cosponsor. I wish to thank my colleagues Senators Hatch, Lincoln and Snowe for their leadership to address the often-hidden scourge of elder abuse. For years, Congress has failed to take concrete action to address the consequences of elder abuse, and that must change.
The Elder Justice Act takes several important steps to help protect our vulnerable elders. First, it boosts funding for the long-term care ombudsman program, which is the chief source of advocacy for individuals who live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The bill would advance the understanding of how to prosecute and address elder abuse by providing funds to focus on and develop the forensics of elder abuse. In addition, it elevates the importance of elder justice issues by creating a coordinating council of federal agencies that will make policy recommendations and submit reports to Congress every two years. The legislation provides funding for adult protective services programs, and improves training and working conditions for long-term care professionals.
We must also act to prevent abuse of our elders whenever and wherever possible. The Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act, which I recently reintroduced with my colleague, Senator Collins, would do much to prevent physical, emotional and financial abuse by providing states with the resources they need to significantly improve background check screening processes for vulnerable populations, including frail elders and individuals with disabilities. We know from the results of a three-year pilot program that thousands of predators can be eliminated from the long-term care workforce that serves elders simply by improving and tightening screening standards.
In closing, I urge my colleagues to support both the Elder Justice Act and the Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act. Thousands of individuals with a history of substantiated abuse or a criminal record are hired every year to work closely with exposed and defenseless seniors within our nation's nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Because the current system of state-based background checks is haphazard, inconsistent, and full of gaping holes, predators can evade detection throughout the hiring process, securing jobs that allow them to assault, abuse, and steal from defenseless elders.
I thank Senators Hatch, Lincoln, and Snowe for their commitment to the cause of elder justice. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the legislation we are introducing today.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
