Assistant DA Andrea Kline Helps Draft Major Elder Abuse Legislation
On Wednesday, June 21st, at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, Governor Bill Haslam signed a new bill enacting statutory changes to laws protecting Tennessee’s Elderly and Vulnerable Adults. The new statute entitled the “Elderly and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act” officially took effect on July 1st. Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris and Representative Kelly Kiesling sponsored the bill at the legislative level, with many other State leaders co-sponsoring.
Senator Norris, Representative Kiesling, and Senator Paul Bailey were all in attendance at the bill signing, as were several members of the DA’s Conference Elder Abuse Committee, including Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Andrea Kline who was instrumental in drafting the legislation and helping to get it passed. The Elder Abuse Committee is chaired by District Attorney General Lisa Zavogiannis of the 31st Judicial District and is comprised of District Attorneys General and Assistant District Attorneys from across the State of Tennessee who have been tasked with making recommendations for statutory changes to the Elderly and Vulnerable Adult laws.
This new bill aims to expand protections for elderly and vulnerable adults at risk for financial exploitation by expanding the definition of financial exploitation and creating new statutory provisions that equip prosecutors with additional tools to prosecute offenders who exploit and abuse Tennessee’s elderly and vulnerable adults. The Knox County DA’s Office under the leadership of General Charme Allen led the charge in fighting elderly and vulnerable adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation by creating the first special victims unit in Tennessee with General Kline assigned to focus solely on this vulnerable segment of our population.
We thank General Kline for her tireless efforts on this legislation and we congratulate the Elder Abuse Committee on a job well done fighting for the elderly and vulnerable citizens of our State!
Photo from Governor Haslam’s Flickr page.