While the law currently regulates home improvement contractors and prohibits home improvement fraud, criminals still find ways to commit fraud and often target older adults and persons with disabilities.  According to the FBI, older adults and persons with disabilities tend to be more trusting and have financial situations that could be exploited, making them vulnerable to home improvement fraud.
 
To help protect these vulnerable individuals, my bill would lower the age limit for enhanced penalties for home improvement fraud from 60 years of age to 55 years of age.  It would also establish persons with disabilities and those caring for persons with disabilities as a protected class with the applicable enhanced penalties that are in the existing law.
 
We as the General Assembly need to do our part to better protect these vulnerable individuals from home improvement fraud and criminals who wish to take advantage of them.  Please join me in protecting vulnerable individuals by co-sponsoring this bill.