Alabama lawmakers have passed bills that would make it easier to criminally charge people who abuse, neglect or financially exploit the elderly.
The sponsors say they expect the governor to sign one of the bills into law once the two slightly different versions are reconciled.
The Senate sponsor, Republican Sen. Cam Ward of Alabaster, says only one word in the measure that passed the Senate is different from the House-passed version sponsored by Republican Rep. Paul DeMarco of Homewood.
Ward says both provide tools to prosecute cases like a recent one in Montgomery, where a man was accused of getting power of attorney from a 98-year old woman and then stealing $2.5 million. .
