Jun. 15, 2021
HARRISBURG – Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-Northumberland/Snyder) today announced that the House of Representatives has passed her
House Bill 1429, which would amend Title 18 to criminalize “financial exploitation” of an older adult/care-dependent person by a person in a position of trust. This measure also grants the attorney general’s office concurrent jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute alongside the district attorney’s if the crime is over $20,000.
A position of trust is defined in the bill as a family member, joint tenant or tenant in common,
someone who holds a fiduciary obligation to the older adult, someone who receives
compensation to provide care, neighbors and friends who have access to them, and intimate
partners of the older adult or care-dependent individuals.
Under the bill, a person in a position of trust commits financial exploitation if he or she takes or
attempts to take money, assets, or property from the older adult or care-dependent person without
his or her authorization. This includes obtaining or attempting to obtain control of their assets
through deception, intimidation or undue influence or converting or attempting to convert such
assets to deprive the rightful owner of them.
“My office has seen multiple cases of individuals in positions of vulnerability being taken advantage of by someone they thought they could trust, and then being left high and dry with few to no options for restitution,” said Culver. “We must be proactive in protecting those who need it most. These targeted crimes are especially heinous, and their perpetrators should be held fully accountable for their deception.”
House Bill 1429 is part of the Elder Abuse Awareness Package, which aims to protect older Pennsylvanians from abuse and exploitation. The bill will now be considered by the Senate.
For more information about this legislation, or any other state-related issue, contact Culver’s district office in Sunbury located at 106 Arch St., by calling 570-286-5885, or toll-free at 1-800-924-9060. Information can also be found online at
LyndaCulver.com or
Facebook.com/RepCulver.
Representative Lynda Schlegel Culver
108th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Kevin DiGuiseppe
717.260.6419
Kdiguiseppe@pahousegop.com
LyndaCulver.com /
Facebook.com/RepCulver