Lawmakers hope second time a charm for senior protections

A second attempt to strengthen protection for senior citizens has passed the state House once again and has moved on the Senate.

The legislation, co-sponsored by state Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, would make financially exploiting a vulnerable adult a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine, and it would disinherit children who abuse, neglect or exploit their aging parents.

The legislation is designed to address a 40-percent rise in elder abuse complaints in Michigan since 1998, according to state officials. Similar legislation was passed by the House but never made it to the Senate floor for a vote in the final weeks of last year’s session.