SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1010        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 75

 

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act protecting disabled persons from financial exploitation..

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Section 1 of chapter 19C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the words "disabled person," in line 4, the following words:-  or financial exploitation of a disabled person.

SECTION 2. Said section 1 is hereby further amended by inserting the following definition:-

"Financial exploitation", an act or omission by a caretaker, which causes a substantial monetary or property loss to a disabled person, or causes a substantial monetary or property gain to a caretaker, which gain would otherwise benefit the disabled person but for the act or omission of such caretaker; provided, however, that such an act or omission shall not be construed as financial exploitation if the disabled person has knowingly consented to such act or omission unless such consent is a consequence of misrepresentation, undue influence, coercion or threat of force by such caretaker; and, provided further, that financial exploitation shall not be construed to interfere with or prohibit a bona fide gift by a disabled person or to apply to any act or practice in the conduct of any trade or commerce declared unlawful by section 2 of chapter 93 A of the General Laws.