HF 1807

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/09/2021 12:38pm

A bill for an act
relating to health; establishing the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council; requiring a
report; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 15.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [15.0592] AGE-FRIENDLY MINNESOTA COUNCIL ESTABLISHED.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Age-Friendly Minnesota Council established. new text end

new text begin The Age-Friendly
Minnesota Council is established in law and sets forth the work of the council established
by the governor's Executive Order No. 19-38 by undertaking the established steps to enroll
Minnesota in a nationally recognized network of age-friendly states, such as the AARP
Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. The infrastructure of the Age-Friendly
Minnesota Council established in this section shall be autonomous and independent.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin (a) The Age-Friendly Minnesota Council shall consist of at least
25 voting members:
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new text begin (1) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house;
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new text begin (2) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the house minority leader;
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new text begin (3) one member of the senate appointed by the senate majority leader;
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new text begin (4) one member of the senate appointed by the senate minority leader;
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new text begin (5) one member representing a Minnesota Tribal Nation selected by the Indian Affairs
Council under section 3.922;
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new text begin (6) one member representing the Governor's broadband task force;
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new text begin (7) a minimum of two members from age-friendly cities and counties;
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new text begin (8) members from philanthropic organizations;
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new text begin (9) members of the public who are older adults and either residents of or individuals
representing rural areas outside of the seven-county metropolitan area;
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new text begin (10) members representing the business community
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new text begin (11) members representing nonprofit organizations representing older adults and
healthcare providers; and
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new text begin (12) members representing the public at large.
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new text begin (b) In addition to the members in paragraph (a), each of the following state agencies
shall designate an Age-Friendly Minnesota lead who shall actively participate as a member
of the council:
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new text begin (1) Board on Aging;
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new text begin (2) Department of Commerce;
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new text begin (3) Department of Employment and Economic Development;
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new text begin (4) Department of Health;
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new text begin (5) Housing and Finance Agency;
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new text begin (6) Department of Human Services;
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new text begin (7) Department of Transportation;
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new text begin (8) Department of Veterans Affairs;
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new text begin (9) Metropolitan Council; and
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new text begin (10) Department of Natural Resources.
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new text begin Other state agencies may participate as nonvoting members.
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new text begin (c) To ensure that power is repositioned and that the council is helping to create leaders
and build capacity, priority shall be given to older adults and members of groups and
communities that face frequent discrimination and exclusion. Those groups and communities
include but are not limited to individuals who are low income; identify as indigenous
American Indian, Black, African-American, Asian, or Latinx; identify as LGBTQ+; are
new immigrants or refugees; have limited English proficiency; live in rural areas; are
veterans; or have disabilities.
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new text begin (d) The council shall hire an executive director who serves in the unclassified service
and may employ or contract with staff to provide support as the council deems necessary
to perform the council's duties. The director must have knowledge and demonstrated
experience in aging, age-friendly work, and proficiency in the management and
administration of programs relating to these fields.
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new text begin (e) The Minnesota Board on Aging appointee shall serve at all times as the chair of the
Age-Friendly Minnesota Council unless the council, by majority vote, selects another
chairperson from among the council's members. Any vote to replace the chair of the council
requires 30 days public notice prior to any such vote.
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new text begin (f) The council shall take all steps necessary to enroll Minnesota in a nationally recognized
network of age-friendly states to advise state and local government agencies and organizations
on the establishment of age-friendly communities, including sovereign tribal nations in
Minnesota, if one or more tribal nations decide to pursue age-friendly designation by
December 31, 2021.
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new text begin (g) The council may accept support and in-kind services from nongovernment
organizations, corporations, and other entities for purposes consistent with the role and
authority of the council in this section.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Initial membership terms. new text end

new text begin Except for members appointed by the Indian Affairs
Council, initial appointments shall be made by the governor by October 1, 2021. Initial
appointments shall serve staggered terms of three years or as determined by the secretary
of state.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Compensation. new text end

new text begin Members shall be compensated as provided in section 15.0575,
subdivision 3.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Domains. new text end

new text begin An age-friendly cities framework proposes eight domains to identify
and address barriers to and opportunities for the well-being and participation of older people.
Domains are specified to guide the priorities and strategies of the council. The council shall
work to advance age-friendly policies and prioritize social equity considerations in an effort
to eliminate historic disparities experienced by older Minnesotans. Domains include but
are not limited to:
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new text begin (1) outdoor spaces and buildings that ensure parks and other green spaces, safe streets,
well-maintained sidewalks, outdoor and indoor seating, and accessible buildings are available
and can be used and enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities;
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new text begin (2) housing options that include homes that are affordable, accessible, appropriate for
various stages of life, and allow aging in the community, including access to home
modifications and services that allow people to stay in their homes;
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new text begin (3) transportation options in Minnesota that are safe, reliable, convenient, and easy to
use and include accessible and affordable public transit, ridesharing, and walking and biking,
recognizing that needs and resources vary by geography across the state.
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new text begin (4) work and civic engagement that ensures older Minnesotans continue to have
opportunities to work for pay, volunteer their skills, and be actively engaged in community
life;
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new text begin (5) respect and social inclusion that ensures that older Minnesotans feel valued, regardless
of age; that older adults are understood and appreciated through an intergenerational lens;
and that multicultural views and traditions associated with aging are recognized and
respected;
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new text begin (6) work that seeks to eliminate ageism;
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new text begin (7) social participation, including electronic means of connecting, that provides
opportunities for older adults to engage in community life through accessible and affordable
activities that are meaningful and safe and that supports physical and mental well-being and
helps combat isolation;
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new text begin (8) communication and information sources that enable communities to effectively
disseminate information in a variety of ways, including through well-designed online sources
made available through affordable, universal access to broadband services, as well as through
nonweb-based means such as print, radio, and television;
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new text begin (9) community and health services that ensure access to affordable, quality, culturally
and linguistically appropriate health care and community support services that match older
adults' needs to help them live safely and with dignity;
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new text begin (10) emergency preparedness policies that ensure that the state's emergency plans
specifically include older adults, drawing on best practices learned through past crises in
Minnesota and elsewhere; and
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new text begin (11) other potential domains as identified by the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council.
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new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Duties of the council. new text end

new text begin (a) The council shall carry out the following duties:
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new text begin (1) supplement, inform, and advise spending across multiple agencies by developing
relationships with the philanthropic community, nonprofit groups, and informal groups to
identify funding to support the council's work;
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new text begin (2) use an asset-based approach that recognizes individuals from groups and communities
identified in subdivision 2, paragraph (c), that experience frequent discrimination and
disparities, hold a wealth of knowledge and lived experiences, and are best positioned to
identify problems and solutions;
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new text begin (3) seek to address the social and economic inequities that are responsible for most health
and aging disparities that must be changed to achieve equity and recognize that racism is a
public health issue that must be treated as such;
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new text begin (4) develop a grant program designed to help communities, including cities, counties,
other municipalities, nonprofit organizations, health systems, universities, collaborative
community efforts, informal groups, and other such entities to build capacity for age-friendly
initiatives and activities, including but not limited to needs assessments, action planning,
implementation, and evaluation. Technical assistance may also be provided, especially using
a train the trainer model;
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new text begin (5) support the growth and expansion of work with and engagement of older adults
across the state;
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new text begin (6) inform assessment, planning, and implementation across various cultural and ethnic
communities; and
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new text begin (7) utilize cultural navigators or equivalent services to engage, establish partnerships
with, and build capacity among organizations and communities representing older
Minnesotans who are racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse as part of a coordinated
effort to achieve equity.
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new text begin (b) The council shall complete the initial community assessment and age-friendly action
planning efforts no later than one year from the date of enrollment in the national age-friendly
network.
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new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Age-friendly dashboard. new text end

new text begin The council, in consultation with the Minnesota
Board on Aging, shall work to inventory and identify metrics for an all-state-agencies
dashboard of age-friendly policies and practices that are being utilized across state
government agencies. The dashboard may be used to assess current programs and policies
and to inform state agencies' progress toward an age-friendly Minnesota.
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new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Central inventory of reports and analyses on aging. new text end

new text begin Within available
appropriations and in collaboration with other organizations, the council shall work to
establish a central inventory of data reports and analyses, including readily available learning
and lessons, to help policymakers in state, local, and tribal government agencies;
stakeholders; and the public to identify information and experts on age-related topics to
advance state and local age-friendly initiatives.
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new text begin Subd. 9. new text end

new text begin Reports to legislature and governor. new text end

new text begin The council shall present to the governor
and chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over public health, aging, and other relevant committees the council's completion of the
initial community assessments and age-friendly action planning no later than one year from
the date of enrollment in the national age-friendly network. The council shall annually
thereafter report to the governor and committee chairs and ranking minority members of
the legislative committees a brief report of the council's work, including a summary of the
grants administered to support age-friendly initiatives and dashboard progress toward an
age-friendly Minnesota.
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