News Room: Elder Protection
May 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
hide summary...
The Elder Financial Protection Network (EFPN), a nonprofit that works to combat elder financial abuse, honored State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) yesterday for his work protecting the state’s seniors.
read more ...
January 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
hide summary...
The financial exploitation of seniors can take many forms. Some scams involve persuading people to put up good faith money, or a spurious transaction fee to claim a lottery prize. Others are more menacing, where a perpetrator coerces an elder into signing over investments, real estate or other assets through the use of manipulation, intimidation or threats.
Often, these scams raise the suspicions of bank employees who -- when given proper guidance and training -- are effective guards against financial abuse of elders. Since the passage in 2005 of the Financial Elder Abuse Reporting Act, authored by State Sen. Joe Simitian D-Palo Alto, bank employees have been required to notify authorities of incidents where elder financial abuse is suspected.
read more ...
September 2011
Friday, September 30, 2011
hide summary...
State Senator Joe Simitian’s (D-Palo Alto) bill to make permanent protections against elder financial abuse has been signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. The legislation, which makes permanent mandated reporting of elder financial abuse, passed the Assembly and the Senate with unanimous support.
read more ...
December 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
hide summary...
State Sen. Joe Simitian’s voting record received high marks from a state environmental group and a state group advocating for seniors...
read more ...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
hide summary...
State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) has received top marks from state environmental and senior groups for his voting record this year.
read more ...
May 2009
Monday, May 04, 2009
hide summary...
Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian is inviting constituents in the 11th State Senate District to participate in the Senate’s first ever live streaming town hall from the State Capitol. “E-Upd@te With State Senator Joe Simitian” will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13th. All topics will be open for discussion during the one hour event.
read more ...
April 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
hide summary...
Sacramento – The California State Senate approved today SB 20, legislation by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), which aims to strengthen existing privacy protection laws for California consumers. The new law builds on legislation authored by Simitian in 2002 that requires a business or government agency that incurs a data breach to provide notice to the individual(s) whose information was compromised. More than 40 states have adopted similar legislation since that time, largely based on the California measure.
read more ...
December 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
hide summary...
Palo Alto – As Californians usher in the New Year, they will find new protections for many including victims of sexual abuse, veterans and seniors. The protections will come from laws that State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) authored and will take effect on January 1, 2009. The following are among the 14 bills that Simitian received signatures on this fall from the Governor.
read more ...
March 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
hide summary...
Sacramento – After reviewing 429 bill ideas from within and outside of his district, State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) today announced three winners in this year’s “There Oughta Be A Law” contest.
read more ...
December 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
hide summary...
The $23,095.58 wire transfer from Jack Whittaker's savings account at the Antioch Schools Federal Credit Union was the first sign something was fishy.
A day after the money had left his account, the 82-year-old widower went in to the credit union to make a withdrawal. He was shocked to learn that his account was nearly empty. The money he thought was there had gone to purchase an annuity he knew nothing about.
After that, credit union CEO Rob Greaff and his staff started keeping a close eye on the World War II veteran's account.
read more ...
December 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
hide summary...
Sacramento – As calendars turn to 2007 next week, California’s seniors will have one more set of eyes looking out for them. SB 1018, a law that will protect elders by making bank, savings and loan, and credit union employees mandated reporters of elder financial abuse, will go into effect on January 1. The bill was authored by State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) and signed into law in 2005.
read more ...
September 2006
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
hide summary...
Governor Schwarzenegger announced today that he will hold a bill signing ceremony in Palo Alto to sign into law State Senator Joe Simitian’s (D-Palo Alto) SB 1609.
read more ...
August 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
hide summary...
Sacramento – Senior groups are urging Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign State Senator Joe Simitian’s (D-Palo Alto) Senate Bill 1609, a bill to protect seniors from predatory lending practices and abuse in connection with reverse mortgages, a popular type of loan that allows seniors age 62 or older to receive cash by borrowing against the equity of their homes.
read more ...
November 2005
Thursday, November 17, 2005
hide summary...
Palo Alto – The Congress of California Seniors and the California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA) released their annual legislative scorecards, giving State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) a 100% voting record on legislation supporting seniors.
read more ...
August 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
hide summary...
Sacramento – State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 1018, his bill to protect elders by making bank, savings and loan, and credit union employees mandated reporters of elder financial abuse. Governor Schwarzenegger signed the bill in a ceremony in his office.
read more ...
July 2005
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
hide summary...
Sacramento - State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) today announced that SB 1018, his bill to protect elders by making bank, savings and loan, and credit union employees mandated reporters of elder financial abuse, has passed out of the Assembly on a 54-10 vote. The bill will go back to the Senate for approval of the amendments taken in the Assembly, and then will go to the Governor.
read more ...
June 2005
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
hide summary...
MEDIA ADVISORY
June 1, 2005
For More Information, Contact:
Hema Sareen Mohan (650) 688-6384
NEWS CONFERENCE ABOUT ELDER ABUSE PROTECTIONS
WHAT:
State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) and Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) will discuss their measures, SB 1018 and AB 1605, respectively, to require that bank employees who suspect elder financial abuse immediately notify Adult Protective Services (APS), which investigates reports of elder abuse, or law enforcement authorities.
Bank employees would join other mandated reporters of elder abuse including health care professionals, social workers, nursing home workers, and clergy. As with other mandated reporters, bank employees would not be liable if their suspicions prove unfounded.
Both SB 1018 and AB 1605 have generated widespread support from law enforcement, senior groups and county welfare officials. SB 1018 was approved by the State Senate on May 26 on a 24-14 vote, and will be heard next in the Assembly. AB 1605 will be heard on the Assembly floor later this week.
WHEN:
Thursday, June 2, 2005 at 11:30 AM
WHERE:
State Capitol, Sacramento, Room 1190, Governor’s Press Room
SPEAKERS:
Attorney General Bill Lockyer
State Treasurer Phil Angelides
Assemblywoman Lois Wolk
State Senator Joe Simitian
HOW:
Media can also listen in by phone:
Dial-In Telephone Number: (888) 285-4585
Participant access code: 598641
###
read more ...
May 2005
Thursday, May 26, 2005
hide summary...
SACRAMENTO - State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) today announced that SB 1018, his bill to make bank, savings and loan, and credit union employees mandated reporters of elder financial abuse, has advanced through the Senate on a 24-14 vote. It will be heard next in the Assembly.
read more ...
September 2004
Thursday, September 30, 2004
hide summary...
Sacramento – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), chair of the Select Committee on Elder Abuse, announced that the Governor signed two of his three bills combating elder abuse.
read more ...
February 2004
Friday, February 20, 2004
hide summary...
Sacramento – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), chair of the Select Committee on Elder Abuse, introduced an omnibus bill package today designed to combat the growing problem of elder abuse in California.
read more ...
December 2003
Friday, December 12, 2003
hide summary...
Palo Alto – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Elder Abuse, will be the guest speaker at next week’s Commission on Aging in San Mateo County.
read more ...
Monday, December 01, 2003
hide summary...
Palo Alto – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that the Assembly Select Committee on Elder Abuse will hold two public hearings on financial and physical elder abuse. Referring to increased incidences of crime on the elderly, he said, “It’s time. With our aging populations, particularly in our region, we can’t sit back and be passive about this. We need to confront the problem head-on.”
read more ...
October 2003
Thursday, October 23, 2003
hide summary...
Palo Alto - The Congress of California Seniors, representing more than 600,000 seniors, released its sixth annual report card today, giving Assemblyman Joe Simitian a 100% voting record on legislation supporting seniors. The group evaluates State Assemblymembers on a wide range of bills of concern to California seniors.
read more ...
May 2003
Thursday, May 08, 2003
hide summary...
Palo Alto – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) is one step closer to giving cities more incentive to build senior housing. Assembly Bill 218, which changes the way cities can count units to meet the State’s affordable housing requirement, passed out of the Assembly Housing Committee yesterday with near unanimous approval.
read more ...
September 2002
Tuesday, September 17, 2002
hide summary...
Sacramento – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that Assembly Bill 2140, designed to combat elder abuse, passed out of the State Legislature and has been signed into law by the Governor. Simitian’s bill earned widespread, bipartisan support along the way.
read more ...
September 2001
Thursday, September 13, 2001
hide summary...
Sacramento – Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) announced today that his bill to combat financial abuse and help prevent the financial destitution of elders won approval from both the State Assembly and State Senate, and now goes to the Governor for signature.
read more ...
--> More information on Elder Protection