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LRB-0450/1
SWB:klm
2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
February 15, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Wirch, Carpenter, Hansen, Ringhand
and Smith, cosponsored by Representatives Subeck, Anderson, Brostoff,
Doyle, Hebl, Ohnstad, Sargent, Sinicki and Vruwink. Referred to
Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
SB41,1,2 1An Act to create 895.033 of the statutes; relating to: civil cause of action for
2financial exploitation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a civil cause of action for financial exploitation of a vulnerable
person. The bill defines the term “vulnerable person" to include persons who are
elderly, financially incapable, incapacitated, or those with a disability who are
susceptible to force, threat, duress, coercion, persuasion, or physical or emotional
injury because of a physical or mental impairment. Under the bill, a court must
award a person who brings a successful action enhanced damages, attorney fees, and
reasonable fees for any necessary services of a conservator or guardian ad litem.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB41,1 3Section 1. 895.033 of the statutes is created to read:
SB41,1,5 4895.033 Financial exploitation of a vulnerable person. (1) In this
5section:
SB41,1,66 (a) “Elderly person" means a person 65 years of age or older.
SB41,2,5
1(b) “Financially incapable person" means a person who is unable to manage his
2or her financial resources effectively for reasons including mental illness,
3intellectual disability, physical illness or disability, chronic use of drugs or controlled
4substances, chronic intoxication, confinement, detention by a foreign power, or
5disappearance.
SB41,2,66 (c) “Incapacitated" has the meaning given in s. 701.0103 (12).
SB41,2,77 (d) “Noneconomic damages" has the meaning given in s. 893.55 (4) (a).
SB41,2,98 (e) “Person with a disability" means a person with a physical or mental
9impairment that has all of the following characteristics:
SB41,2,1110 1. Is likely to continue without substantial improvement for no fewer than 12
11months or to result in death.
SB41,2,1512 2. Prevents performance of substantially all of the ordinary duties of
13occupations in which an individual not having the physical or mental impairment is
14capable of engaging, having due regard for the training, experience, and
15circumstances of the person with the physical or mental impairment.
SB41,2,1616 (f) “Vulnerable person" means any of the following:
SB41,2,1717 1. An elderly person.
SB41,2,1818 2. A financially incapable person.
SB41,2,1919 3. An incapacitated person.
SB41,2,2220 4. A person with a disability who is susceptible to force, threat, duress, coercion,
21persuasion, or physical or emotional injury because of the person's physical or mental
22impairment.
SB41,3,2 23(2) Any of the following persons may, on behalf of a vulnerable person who
24suffers injury or damage by reason of financial exploitation, bring an action under

1this section against a person who has caused the financial exploitation or has
2permitted another person to engage in financial exploitation:
SB41,3,33 (a) A vulnerable person.
SB41,3,44 (b) A guardian or conservator for a vulnerable person.
SB41,3,65 (c) A personal representative for the estate of a decedent who was a vulnerable
6person at the time the cause of action arose.
SB41,3,77 (d) A trustee for a trust on behalf of any of the following:
SB41,3,88 1. A trustor who is a vulnerable person.
SB41,3,99 2. The spouse of a trustor who is a vulnerable person.
SB41,3,11 10(3) An action may be brought under this section for financial exploitation of a
11vulnerable person if any of the following circumstances exist:
SB41,3,1412 (a) A person wrongfully takes or appropriates money or property of a
13vulnerable person, without regard to whether the person taking or appropriating the
14money or property has a fiduciary relationship with the vulnerable person.
SB41,3,2015 (b) A vulnerable person requests that another person transfer to the vulnerable
16person any money or property that the other person holds or controls and that
17belongs to or is held in express trust, constructive trust, or resulting trust for the
18vulnerable person, and the other person, without good cause, either continues to hold
19the money or property or fails to take reasonable steps to make the money or property
20readily available to the vulnerable person when all of the following are true:
SB41,3,2321 1. The other person or someone acting in concert with the other person acquires
22ownership or control of the money or property in whole or in part from the vulnerable
23person.
SB41,4,3
12. The other person acts in bad faith, or knew or should have known of the right
2of the vulnerable person to have the money or property transferred as requested or
3otherwise made available to the vulnerable person.
SB41,4,7 4(4) A person may bring an action under this section against a person for
5permitting another person to engage in financial exploitation of a vulnerable person
6if the person knowingly acts or fails to act under circumstances in which a reasonable
7person should have known of the financial exploitation.
SB41,4,12 8(5) A transfer of money or property that is made for the purpose of qualifying
9a vulnerable person for Medical Assistance benefits or for any other state or federal
10assistance program, or the holding and exercise of control over money or property
11after such a transfer, does not constitute a wrongful taking or appropriation under
12sub. (3) (a) or the holding of money or property without good cause under sub. (3) (b).
SB41,4,14 13(6) The court shall award all of the following to a plaintiff who prevails in an
14action under this section:
SB41,4,1615 (a) An amount equal to 3 times all economic damages resulting from the
16financial exploitation, or $500, whichever amount is greater.
SB41,4,1817 (b) An amount equal to 3 times all noneconomic damages resulting from the
18financial exploitation.
SB41,4,1919 (c) Reasonable attorney fees incurred by the plaintiff.
SB41,4,2120 (d) Reasonable fees for the services of any conservator or guardian ad litem
21incurred by reason of the litigation of a claim brought under this section.
SB41,4,2222 (End)
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