Elder abuse law passes in Albany

Assemblymember Ellen Young, a member of the Assembly Aging Committee, and State Senator Marty Golden, Chair of the Senate Aging Committee, announced the passing of an elder abuse bill that gained bi-partisan support from both houses.
The bill, S3717/A8762, appoints a representative from the State Office for the Aging to the New York Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence as an ex-officio member. The goal of the appointment, Young said in a statement issued on Thursday, June 28 is to give senior citizens a stronger voice in the community.
&#8220Our senior citizens are the lifeblood of our community,” said Young, who sponsored the bill. &#8220This law will see to it that their needs are properly addressed.”
Young went on to add that the bill is extremely important in light of the March incident that left two local women, 86 and 101, badly beaten by a mugger. A separate bill, proposed by State Senator Serphin Maltese, which would have made it a felony to assault anyone over the age of 70, died in the Assembly this past session.
Maltese, however, co-sponsored the bill proposed by Young, saying that Queens has &#8220a growing population and domestic violence does not have an age limit. In finding solutions, it is important to consider the perspective of an older adult and their needs and challenges.”
Senator Frank Padavan added, &#8220This is a positive piece of legislation. There's a lot of elder abuse that takes place in a domestic environment. By making this appointment, we provide the opportunity to put a more energetic emphasis on that problem.”