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LETTER TO CONGRESS
October 30, 2007
The Honorable _______________
Washington, DC
Dear Senator Wyden:
On behalf of myself, the older adults that I serve, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), I am writing to request that you co-sponsor the Elder Justice Act (S. 1070, H.R. 1783), and call on congressional leadership to pass this legislation as soon as possible.
This landmark legislation will make great strides in the fight to protect our vulnerable elderly and disabled from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. As you may be aware, during the 109th Congress, the Senate Finance Committee unanimously passed the Elder Justice Act (a version of S. 2010) on August 3, 2006. Now Congress has another opportunity to do it right by passing the bill this session.
No current federal law adequately and comprehensively addresses issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and there are very limited resources available to those in the field directly dealing with these issues. The Elder Justice Act would create the needed federal leadership in the form of a Coordinating Council and Advisory Board, and would provide resources to states as well as Adult Protective Services and Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs to develop and implement a nationally coordinated strategy to make elder justice a reality.
The Elder Justice Coalition, of which NAELA was a founding member, currently has over 500 members who believe strongly in this legislation. NAELA was founded in 1988 as a not-for-profit professional association of attorneys who are dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to the elderly and persons with special needs. NAELA focuses on education, analysis, and advocacy on legal and public policy issues faced by the elderly and individuals with disabilities.
Please let me know if you will co-sponsor the Elder Justice Act. Thank you.
Sincerely,
G. Mark Shalloway, CELA
President, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
