WISE — The Southwest Virginia Joint Senior Abuse Task Force on Monday recommended five legislative proposals to strengthen criminal laws against abusers. Meeting for the second time since being organized earlier this year, the task force gathered at The University of Virginia's College at Wise. Attendees included area law enforcement officers, legislators, attorneys, adult protective service workers, financial institutions, victim advocates, health care workers and citizens. The task force voted to recommend five legislative proposals including provisions to criminalize an agent's use of a power of attorney for personal gain, a requirement for two witness signatures on a power of attorney for it to be effective, the creation of a hearsay exception for seniors' testimony in cases of abuse or neglect, and a measure to prohibit unlicensed health care workers from accepting gifts or money provided by patients in excess of $100 per year. The task force also recommended a requirement for commonwealth's attorney offices across the state to hold multidisciplinary team meetings, like the task force created in Wise, to address senior abuse and neglect cases. Slemp organized the collaborative effort to combat and prevent abuse and financial exploitation of seniors and incapacitated adults.