Elder Protection, Anti-Scam Recovery, and Senior Infrastructure Act

Proposed by Ryan Bowman, Candidate for Washington State Senate, 42nd District.

Section 1 — Short Title

This act shall be known and may be cited as the:

"Elder Protection, Anti-Scam Recovery, and Senior Infrastructure Act"

Section 2 — Legislative Findings and Intent

The Legislature finds that:

  1. Financial fraud, cybercrime, identity theft, and organized scamming operations increasingly target senior citizens, disabled individuals, veterans, and otherwise vulnerable populations.
  2. Older adults are disproportionately harmed by scams due to isolation, declining health, cognitive vulnerability, technological barriers, and reliance on fixed incomes.
  3. Existing anti-fraud enforcement systems are fragmented across agencies and lack the coordinated infrastructure necessary to rapidly identify, investigate, recover, and prevent organized financial exploitation.
  4. The financial losses associated with scams and fraudulent activity create secondary burdens on public healthcare systems, long-term care services, family caregivers, housing stability, and community support systems.
  5. The State has a compelling interest in:
    • Protecting residents from fraud and financial exploitation
    • Recovering stolen assets where possible
    • Expanding public education and prevention programs
    • Modernizing senior care infrastructure
    • Improving quality-of-life outcomes for aging populations
    • Creating workforce pathways in cybersecurity, investigations, caregiving, digital forensics, and elder support services.
  6. It is the intent of the Legislature that funds recovered through anti-scam operations shall prioritize restitution for victims and support sustainable prevention, education, and elder care initiatives.

Section 3 — Definitions

For purposes of this Act:

  1. "Agency" — Means the Elder Protection and Financial Recovery Agency established under this Act.
  2. "Elder" — Means any individual aged sixty years or older.
  3. "Scam" or "Fraudulent Activity" — Means any deceptive, manipulative, fraudulent, cybercriminal, or coercive act intended to unlawfully obtain money, property, personal information, benefits, or assets.
  4. "Financial Exploitation" — Means the illegal or improper use of another person's funds, property, assets, or identity for personal gain.
  5. "Recovery Funds" — Means money or assets recovered through enforcement actions, seizures, settlements, restitution agreements, forfeitures, or cooperative investigations.
  6. "Senior Care Infrastructure" — Includes facilities, programs, workforce initiatives, housing systems, transportation services, medical support services, and technological systems supporting elderly individuals.

Section 4 — Establishment of the Elder Protection and Financial Recovery Agency

(1) Creation

There is hereby established the:

Elder Protection and Financial Recovery Agency (EPFRA).

The Agency shall operate as an independent executive agency with statewide jurisdiction.

(2) Purpose

The Agency shall:

  • Investigate scam operations and financial exploitation
  • Coordinate cybercrime and anti-fraud intelligence
  • Assist in recovery of stolen assets
  • Operate public reporting systems
  • Provide victim support services
  • Develop public education campaigns
  • Coordinate with state, federal, tribal, and international partners
  • Support elder protection initiatives
  • Provide annual reporting to the Legislature.

(3) Core Divisions

The Agency shall establish:

(a) Cybercrime and Digital Forensics Division

Responsible for:

  • Scam detection
  • Digital investigations
  • Blockchain and cryptocurrency tracing
  • Cybersecurity analysis
  • Fraud pattern analysis
  • AI-assisted monitoring systems.

(b) Victim Recovery and Restitution Division

Responsible for:

  • Victim intake
  • Case coordination
  • Financial recovery efforts
  • Restitution processing
  • Emergency stabilization assistance.

(c) Elder Protection Division

Responsible for:

  • Senior-specific scam prevention
  • Coordination with care facilities and healthcare providers
  • Wellness outreach
  • Guardianship abuse review referrals
  • Financial abuse prevention education.

(d) Public Education and Prevention Division

Responsible for:

  • Community workshops
  • Scam awareness campaigns
  • School and workforce education
  • Senior technology literacy programs
  • Public service announcements.

(e) Senior Infrastructure Development Division

Responsible for:

  • Coordinating elder housing and care expansion initiatives
  • Adaptive reuse planning
  • Workforce transition programs
  • Facility modernization grants
  • Accountability standards.

Section 5 — Reporting Systems

(1) Centralized Reporting Platform

The Agency shall establish a publicly accessible:

  • Telephone hotline
  • Mobile reporting application
  • Website portal
  • Email intake system
  • Mail fraud submission system.

(2) Emergency Scam Intervention

The Agency may coordinate with:

  • Financial institutions
  • Payment processors
  • Telecommunications providers
  • Cryptocurrency exchanges
  • Law enforcement agencies

for rapid intervention where fraud is actively occurring.

(3) Confidentiality

Personal identifying information submitted to the Agency shall remain confidential except where disclosure is required by law or necessary for prosecution.

Section 6 — Recovery Fund and Allocation Structure

(1) Establishment of the Recovery and Senior Protection Trust Fund

There is established the:

Recovery and Senior Protection Trust Fund

to receive:

  • Recovered assets
  • Civil penalties
  • Enforcement settlements
  • Federal grants
  • Legislative appropriations
  • Donations and partnerships.

(2) Priority Allocation of Funds

Funds deposited into the Trust Fund shall be distributed in the following order of priority:

(a) Victim Restitution — Minimum 50%

No less than fifty percent of annual recovered funds shall be directed toward:

  • Returning assets to victims
  • Emergency financial relief
  • Identity restoration services
  • Legal assistance
  • Housing stabilization
  • Counseling services.

(b) Prevention and Education — Minimum 20%

No less than twenty percent shall support:

  • Scam prevention campaigns
  • Public awareness efforts
  • Senior digital literacy education
  • Community outreach programs
  • Fraud prevention research.

(c) Senior Care and Infrastructure — Minimum 20%

No less than twenty percent shall support:

  • Senior housing expansion
  • Long-term care modernization
  • Accessibility improvements
  • Caregiver workforce development
  • Transportation systems
  • Community-based elder support services.

(d) Agency Operations — Maximum 10%

No more than ten percent may be used for:

  • Administrative expenses
  • Operational staffing
  • Technology systems
  • Investigative support.

(3) Restrictions

Funds shall not be diverted into unrelated general budget expenditures.

Section 7 — Elder Care Infrastructure Initiative

(1) Purpose

The Legislature recognizes the growing demand for dignified, accessible, and affordable elder care infrastructure.

(2) Adaptive Reuse Program

The Agency may coordinate with local governments and private partners to convert underutilized commercial properties into:

  • Assisted living facilities
  • Memory care centers
  • Community wellness campuses
  • Transitional elder housing
  • Integrated healthcare centers.

(3) Workforce Expansion

The State shall establish incentives for:

  • Nursing education
  • Caregiver certification
  • Home-health workforce development
  • Cybersecurity workforce training
  • Digital investigation careers
  • Transitional employment opportunities.

(4) Quality Standards

Facilities receiving funding under this Act shall maintain standards relating to:

  • Nutrition
  • Sanitation
  • Staffing ratios
  • Abuse prevention
  • Transparency
  • Resident rights
  • Mental health access
  • Social engagement opportunities.

(5) Accountability Audits

All publicly funded facilities under this Act shall undergo regular independent audits. Findings shall be publicly available.

Section 8 — Coordination with Tribal Governments

The Agency shall consult and coordinate with Tribal Nations regarding:

  • Elder protection efforts
  • Scam prevention
  • Care infrastructure planning
  • Community education
  • Culturally appropriate service delivery.

Nothing in this Act shall infringe upon tribal sovereignty.

Section 9 — Technology and Privacy Protections

(1) Ethical Use Standards

Technology systems utilized under this Act shall:

  • Protect civil liberties
  • Minimize unnecessary surveillance
  • Avoid discriminatory targeting
  • Prioritize informed consent where applicable.

(2) Data Security

The Agency shall maintain strict cybersecurity protections for all records and reporting systems.

(3) AI Oversight

Artificial intelligence systems used for fraud detection shall undergo periodic review for bias, accuracy, and effectiveness.

Section 10 — Annual Reporting Requirements

The Agency shall submit an annual report to the Legislature containing:

  • Number of cases investigated
  • Amount of funds recovered
  • Restitution distributed
  • Scam trends identified
  • Public education metrics
  • Infrastructure projects funded
  • Workforce development outcomes
  • Audit findings
  • Recommendations for future legislation.

The report shall be publicly accessible.

Section 11 — Whistleblower Protections

Individuals reporting fraud, abuse, exploitation, or misuse of funds under this Act shall be protected from retaliation.

Section 12 — Criminal Enhancements

(1) Enhanced Penalties

Financial crimes targeting elders, disabled individuals, or vulnerable populations may be subject to enhanced sentencing considerations.

(2) Organized Scam Operations

Participation in coordinated scam networks involving multiple victims or cross-border operations may constitute aggravated financial exploitation.

Section 13 — Implementation Timeline

Phase I — Initial Establishment (Year 1)

  • Agency formation
  • Staffing
  • Reporting systems
  • Public awareness launch.

Phase II — Expansion (Years 2–3)

  • Recovery operations
  • Infrastructure pilot programs
  • Workforce partnerships
  • Data system integration.

Phase III — Long-Term Stabilization (Years 4–5)

  • Statewide infrastructure scaling
  • Audit standardization
  • Expanded victim services
  • National and international coordination.

Section 14 — Severability

If any provision of this Act or its application is held invalid, the remainder of the Act shall not be affected.

Section 15 — Effective Date

This Act shall take effect ninety days after passage and approval according to law.

Public Summary

The Elder Protection, Anti-Scam Recovery, and Senior Infrastructure Act is designed to:

  • Protect seniors and vulnerable individuals from scams and financial exploitation
  • Create a dedicated anti-scam recovery agency
  • Recover stolen funds and return them to victims
  • Expand scam prevention education
  • Improve elder care infrastructure and accountability
  • Build workforce opportunities in caregiving and cybersecurity
  • Ensure transparency in the use of public funds
  • Prepare communities for the growing aging population.

This legislation recognizes that protecting Elders is both a moral obligation and a long-term investment in societal stability, dignity, and public wellbeing.