The legislative session begins today. During the session and throughout the year, the disAbility Law Center is available to assist legislators and other policymakers in understanding the implications of legislative proposals for people with disabilities. The dLCV is a private nonprofit organization that advocates and advances the rights of people with disabilities in Virginia.
There are a number of bills being offered this year intending to protect persons who are elder or disabled from the risk of financial exploitation. Some of the ones we will be watching on this issue include:
HB 312 (Toscano) – awards attorneys fees where property is transferred using undue influence.
HB 315 (Kory) – expands the kinds of disabilities who are protected from financial exploitation and increases the felony penalty level.
HB 469 (Yost) – prohibits taking financial advantage of a person with a disability or someone who is socially isolated.
HB 471 (Yost) – makes it a class three felony to exploit financially an incapacitated person.
HB 619 (Mason) – makes computer fraud a more serious felony if the victim is over 65.
HB 627 (Watts) – makes it a misdemeanor to knowing defraud an incapacitated person.
If you learn of a bill or a budget item that we should be monitoring, please let us know. Call us at 1-800-552-3962 or email us at info@dlcv.org.