More APS Staff to Address Elder Abuse.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 391

Short Title: More APS Staff to Address Elder Abuse. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Price and Buansi (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
March 17, 2025
*H391-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 2
SERVICES, DIVISION O F SOCIAL SERVICES, T O FUND ADDITIONAL AD ULT 3
PROTECTIVE SERVICES WORKERS AT COUNTY DE PARTMENTS OF SOCIAL 4
SERVICES TO INVESTIG ATE AN INCREASING VO LUME OF ELDER ABUSE 5
REPORTS. 6
Whereas, Article 6 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes mandates county 7
departments of social services to evaluate reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older 8
adults through a system of protective services known as Adult Protection Services (APS); and 9
Whereas, reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults may include all 10
forms of abuse such as physical, sexual, emotional, mental, passive neglect, and financial 11
exploitation, and may include acts of confinement and willful deprivation; and 12
Whereas, the federal Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) provides 21% of the 13
funding for APS staff at county departments of social services, and the counties provide the 14
remaining 79%; and 15
Whereas, in North Carolina, the Stat e does not allocate State funds for Adult 16
Protective Services; and 17
Whereas, according to the National Council on Aging, pre -pandemic sources 18
estimated approximately one in 10 Americans 60 years of age or older have experienced some 19
form of elder abuse, a more recent study found that one in five older adults reported elder abuse 20
during the COVID-19 pandemic; and 21
Whereas, in county departments of social services with APS units, SSBG funds 22
earmarked for APS are often depleted by mid-year, if not earlier; and 23
Whereas, with the growth in the older adult population, county departments of social 24
services APS staff are overwhelmed by the increased demand in elder abuse cases; and 25
Whereas, while the population increase of those 60 years of age or older contributes 26
to the increased number of APS reports, analysis shows that the number of abuse reports per 27
capita has increased as well; and 28
Whereas, North Carolina counties report the need for additional APS staff; Now, 29
therefore, 30
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 31
SECTION 1.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 32
Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, the sum of two million one hundred 33
seventy-eight thousand dollars ($2,178,000) in recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and 34
the sum of four million five hundred forty-two thousand dollars ($4,542,000) in recurring funds 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 391-First Edition
for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year to be used to increase the number of full -time Adult Protective 1
Services (APS) workers statewide by at least 25 for the 2025 -2026 fiscal year and by an 2
additional 25 for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Funds authorized by this section for the allocation of 3
50 additional Adult Protective Services (APS) workers shall be distributed to county departments 4
of social services based on the greatest need for additional APS workers, as determined by the 5
Division of Social Services. In determining the counties with the greatest need for additional 6
APS workers, the Division of Social Services, in consultation with the North Carol ina 7
Association of County Directors of Social Services, shall consider the following factors: (i) the 8
total number of APS cases within the county; (ii) the number of APS workers required to 9
adequately assess and evaluate the APS cases in the county; (iii) the population of individuals 65 10
years of age or older residing in the county; and (iv) the volume of reports related to abuse, 11
neglect, and exploitation of older adults within each county. 12
SECTION 1.(b) County departments of social services that are the recipients of these 13
allocated funds shall not use these funds (i) for any purpose other than to pay for salaries, benefits, 14
and related expenses associated with the additional APS workers or (ii) to supplant any other 15
source of funding for staff. 16
SECTION 2. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 17