Last year, members of the Arizona House of Representative and some disability and aging advocates developed recommendations to tackle the issues of abuse and neglect. Work paused because of the coronavirus. But it’s a new legislative session, and now some measures are moving once again.

Democratic Rep. Jennifer Longdon co-chaired the ad hoc committee on the abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults along with Republican Rep. Tim Dunn. 

"We had passed several of them out of our chamber, to move over to the Senate for consideration when COVID shut us down," Longdon said. 

And she’s optimistic those bills will once again make it out of the House. Another bill would allocate $3.3 million to hire 44 long-term care surveyors. There is also a bill that would create a pilot watchdog program for group homes. 

"To be able to inspect them, monitor them on an annual basis. I think that's very important. And if this pilot program goes well, we'll expand to other facilities as well," Longdon said. 

The ad hoc task force was formed after an incapacitated woman was raped by her caregiver at her long term-care facility.