WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 2927

Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for a peace officer who fails to report the suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Liz Campos

HB 2927 increases criminal penalties for peace officers who fail to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of elderly persons or people with disabilities, strengthening accountability for mandatory reporters.

Referred to Human Services
#aging(i0015) #crimes--againstpersons--general(i0170) #criminalprocedure--general(i0208) #disabilities #personswith(i0380) #elderabuse(s0247) #lawenforcement(i0510) #occupationalregulation--othertrades&professions(i0541) #peaceofficers(s0007)
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 2927

Legislative bill overview

HB 2927 increases criminal penalties for peace officers who fail to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of elderly persons or individuals with disabilities. The bill strengthens accountability mechanisms by making non-reporting a more serious criminal offense, likely elevating it from a misdemeanor to a felony or increasing penalties within existing classifications.

Why is this important

Elderly persons and people with disabilities are among the most vulnerable populations and often depend on authorities to protect them. Stronger penalties for failure to report can incentivize law enforcement compliance with mandatory reporting requirements and theoretically reduce cases where abuse goes unreported due to officer negligence or deliberate inaction.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation clarity: The bill's text (not yet publicly available) may lack specificity about what constitutes "suspected" abuse or what circumstances excuse non-reporting, potentially creating prosecutorial inconsistency or entanglement in subjective judgments
  • Law enforcement concerns: Police unions or associations may argue the bill creates unreasonable liability exposure or conflicts with other operational priorities, particularly in resource-constrained departments
  • Definitional scope: Questions may arise about whether the bill applies only to direct observations or also to secondhand information, and whether it applies to all peace officers statewide or specific agencies

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.