After Two Years of Determined Effort, the Territory’s Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Prevention Act Has Finally Been Signed Into Law!

On November 10, 2025, Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. signed Act 9051, which amends title 34 of the Virgin Islands Code, chapter 15, expanding the Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Protection Act. Act 9051 was approved by the Virgin Islands Legislature on October 30, 2025. AARP Virgin Islands State Director Troy de Chabert-Schuster testified before the 36th Virgin Islands Legislature in support of amendments to the territory’s Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Prevention Act (Bill 36-0099).

The Proposed Amendments:

• Establish an Anti-Elder Abuse Task Force to coordinate prevention and response across agencies. 
  
• Establishes an effective monitoring system to track elder abuse cases or maltreatment of older adults and adults with disabilities in the Virgin Islands. 
  
• Create the territory’s first Elder Abuse Registry, tracking individuals found to have abused, neglected, or exploited older or dependent adults. 
  
• Mandate training for law enforcement and service providers to identify, prevent, and respond to elder abuse. 
  
• Require that employers of programs that are licensed providers to the elderly check prospective staff and volunteers against the abuse registry and national databases before hiring. 
  
• Form a Multi-Disciplinary Protection team to improve information sharing and establish best practices. 

Elder abuse is a serious problem affecting millions of Americans, including older Virgin Islanders. The World Health Organization defines elder abuse as a violation of human rights and a major cause of illness, injury, loss of productivity, isolation, and despair. To address this public health issue, immediate action was needed to raise public awareness and effectively implement legislative solutions. As the Virgin Islands experiences rapid growth in its older adult population, ensuring their safety and well-being is crucial.

To address this issue, AARP convened a working group of stakeholders from government agencies, private sector leaders, advocates, and the community to assess the current law. The group’s findings helped shape the amendments that are now part of Act 9051.

“Change can only happen when we work together as a community,” stated de Chabert-Schuster. “We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Governor Albert Bryan, Jr., for signing this historic Bill into law. We also thank Senator Angel L. Bolques, Jr., for his tireless effort in pushing this bill forward, and the entire 36th Legislature for their unanimous approval of this.”