HB 5048 Summary

• Increases maximum imprisonment penalty for vulnerable adult abuse in the second degree from 4 years to 10 years.

• Maintains felony status for second-degree vulnerable adult abuse, which involves reckless acts or failures to act causing serious physical or mental harm to vulnerable adults.

• Corrects citation reference for patient advocate designations from sections 5506-5515 to sections 5506-5520 of the Estates and Protected Individuals Code.

• Preserves existing exemptions allowing caregivers to take reasonable action to prevent harm and exempting acts carried out under valid patient advocate designations.