HB4309 S JUD AMT

Lovell 7908

The Committee on the Judiciary moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows:

Eng. House Bill No. 4309 -- A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, by adding thereto a new article, designated §55-7I-1, §55-7I-2, §55-7I-3, §55-7I-4, §55-7I-5 and §55-7I-6, and to amend and reenact §61-2-29b of said code, all relating to protections against financial exploitation of elderly persons, protected persons and incapacitated adults generally; establishing a cause of action against a person who commits an act of financial exploitation against an elderly person, protected person or incapacitated adult; defining terms; restricting certain defenses which, standing alone, are based on legal relationship to and elderly person, protected person or incapacitated adult; providing for court authorized remedies; authorizing the award of punitive damages; providing for award of costs and attorneys’ fees; establishing the standard of proof; establishing the statute of limitations for actions brought under the article; authorizing the court to freeze assets and order injunctive relief; providing options the court may exercise if a person violates an injunction; providing a penalty for violating an injunction; clarifying criminal penalties for conviction of certain offenses of financial exploitation of an elderly person, protected person or incapacitated adult; and increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of financial exploitation of $1,000 or more.