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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a pilot program to establish community collaboratives |
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to address financial exploitation of elderly persons in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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(1) "Community collaborative" means a community |
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collaborative established under the pilot program. |
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(2) "Department" means the Department of Family and |
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Protective Services. |
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(3) "Financial exploitation" has the meaning assigned |
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by Section 281.001, Finance Code. |
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(4) "Pilot program" means the pilot program |
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established under Section 2 of this Act. |
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SECTION 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH COMMUNITY |
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COLLABORATIVES TO ADDRESS FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF ELDERLY |
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PERSONS. (a) Not later than December 1, 2021, the department shall |
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develop and implement a pilot program to establish community |
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collaboratives under which entities with an interest in preventing |
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financial exploitation of elderly persons collaborate to help |
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prevent, protect against, and prosecute that exploitation and |
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otherwise improve the financial security of elderly persons. To |
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the extent possible, each community collaborative should include |
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the following entities as participants: |
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(1) at least one social service agency or other entity |
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capable of providing services to the community aimed at preventing |
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financial exploitation, including financial counseling, benefits |
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assistance, insurance counseling, presentations and other |
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educational information on scams, fraud, and identity theft |
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targeted at elderly persons, and money management and employment |
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services; |
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(2) at least one local court with jurisdiction over |
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guardianship proceedings; and |
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(3) the office of at least one prosecuting attorney in |
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the community that has an independent unit committed to |
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investigating and prosecuting financial exploitation. |
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(b) In developing and implementing the pilot program, the |
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department shall: |
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(1) consult with the Elder Financial Safety Center or |
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another entity familiar with designing and maintaining similar |
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community collaboratives; and |
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(2) establish the collaboratives in at least five |
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different geographical areas of this state that are representative |
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of diverse communities with different resources and services to |
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evaluate how the collaborative model can be adapted to different |
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communities. |
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SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2022, the |
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department shall prepare and submit a report to the governor, |
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lieutenant governor, and each member of the legislature that |
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includes: |
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(1) a description and summary of the pilot program, |
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including a description of where each community collaborative was |
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established and the entities participating in each collaborative; |
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(2) the department's evaluation of the effect of each |
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collaborative in the community in which it was implemented; and |
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(3) a recommendation as to whether the community |
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collaboratives should be continued or terminated. |
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SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. The pilot program terminates and |
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this Act expires September 1, 2023. |
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SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |