1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to human services; converting the Governor's Council on an Age-Friendly
1.3 Minnesota into the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council; codifying existing grants;
1.4 appropriating money; amending Laws 2021, chapter 30, article 12, section 5, as
1.5 amended; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256.
1.6BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.7 Section 1. [256.9746] AGE-FRIENDLY MINNESOTA COUNCIL.
1.8 Subdivision 1.Establishment.The Age-Friendly Minnesota Council is established to
1.9coordinate work across sectors, including state government, nonprofits, communities,
1.10businesses, and others, to ensure the state is an age-friendly state.
1.11 Subd. 2.Membership.(a) The council consists of 15 voting members.
1.12 (b) Each of the following commissioners and multimember state agencies must designate
1.13an Age-Friendly Minnesota lead and appoint that designee to serve as a council member:
1.14 (1) the Minnesota Board on Aging;
1.15 (2) the commissioner of commerce;
1.16 (3) the commissioner of employment and economic development;
1.17 (4) the commissioner of health;
1.18 (5) the commissioner of housing;
1.19 (6) the commissioner of human services;
1.20 (7) the commissioner of transportation;
1.21 (8) the commissioner of veterans affairs; and
1Section 1.
REVISOR DTT/EN 25-0439203/05/25
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 2646
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Schomacker03/24/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Human Services Finance and Policy 2.1 (9) the Metropolitan Council.
2.2 (c) The governor shall appoint six additional public members to represent older adults
2.3in communities experiencing disparities, direct service caregivers, businesses, experts on
2.4aging, local governments, and Tribal communities. The appointment, terms, compensation,
2.5and removal of public members shall be as provided in section 15.059.
2.6 (d) Other state agencies and boards may participate on the council in a nonvoting capacity.
2.7 Subd. 3.Chairperson; executive committee.(a) The council shall elect a chairperson
2.8and other officers as it deems necessary and in accordance with the council's operating
2.9procedures.
2.10 (b) The council shall be governed by an executive committee elected by the members
2.11of the council. One member of the executive committee must be the council chairperson.
2.12 (c) The executive committee may appoint additional subcommittees and work groups
2.13as necessary to fulfill the duties of the council.
2.14 Subd. 4.Meetings.(a) The council shall meet at the call of the chairperson or at the
2.15request of a majority of council members. The council must meet at least quarterly. Meetings
2.16of the council are subject to section 13D.01, and notice of its meetings is governed by section
2.1713D.04.
2.18 (b) Notwithstanding section 13D.01, the council may conduct a meeting of its members
2.19by telephone or other electronic means so long as:
2.20 (1) all members of the council participating in the meeting, wherever their physical
2.21location, can hear one another and can hear all discussion and testimony;
2.22 (2) members of the public present at the regular meeting location of the council can hear
2.23all discussion and all votes of members of the council and participate in testimony;
2.24 (3) at least one member of the council is physically present at the regular meeting location;
2.25and
2.26 (4) each member's vote on each issue is identified and recorded by a roll call.
2.27Each member of the council participating in a meeting by telephone or other electronic
2.28means is considered present at the meeting for the purposes of determining a quorum and
2.29participating in all proceedings. If telephone or another electronic means is used to conduct
2.30a meeting, the council, to the extent practicable, shall allow a person to monitor the meeting
2.31from a remote location. If telephone or another electronic means is used to conduct a regular,
2.32special, or emergency meeting, the council shall provide notice of the regular meeting
2Section 1.
REVISOR DTT/EN 25-0439203/05/25 3.1location, that some members may participate by electronic means, and of the option to
3.2monitor the meeting electronically from a remote location.
3.3 Subd. 5.Duties.(a) The council's duties may include but are not limited to:
3.4 (1) elevating the voice of older adults in developing the vision and action plan for an
3.5age-friendly state;
3.6 (2) engaging with the community, including older adults, caregivers, businesses, experts,
3.7advocacy organizations, and other interested parties, to inform recommendations and provide
3.8interested parties with updates on the council's recommendations;
3.9 (3) identifying opportunities for and barriers to collaboration and coordination among
3.10services and state agencies responsible for funding and administering programs and
3.11public-private partnerships;
3.12 (4) promoting equity and making progress toward equitable outcomes by examining
3.13programs, policies, and practices to ensure they address disparities experienced by older
3.14adults in greater Minnesota, older adults of color, and indigenous older adults;
3.15 (5) catalyzing age-friendly work at the local level, engaging with and empowering older
3.16adults, local constituents, elected officials, and other interested parties to create change in
3.17every community;
3.18 (6) establishing a statewide framework that allows for local flexibility to tap into the
3.19potential presented by our aging communities and elevates aging across all of Minnesota;
3.20 (7) reviewing, awarding, and monitoring grants under section 256.9747;
3.21 (8) assessing and examining relevant programs, policies, practices, and services to make
3.22budget and policy recommendations to establish age-friendly policies in law with appropriate
3.23financial support to ensure Minnesota continues to lead on age-friendly initiatives; and
3.24 (9) making budget and policy recommendations to the governor, commissioners, boards,
3.25other state agencies, and the legislature to further the council's mission to ensure the state
3.26is an age-friendly state.
3.27 (b) The council may accept technical assistance and in-kind services from outside
3.28organizations for purposes consistent with the council's role and authority.
3.29 Subd. 6.Administration.The Minnesota Board on Aging and Department of Human
3.30Services shall provide staffing and administrative support to the council.
3.31 Subd. 7.Annual report.Beginning January 1, 2026, and every two years thereafter,
3.32the council shall publish a public report on the council's activities, the uses and measurable
3Section 1.
REVISOR DTT/EN 25-0439203/05/25 4.1outcomes of the grant activities funded under section 256.9747, the council's
4.2recommendations, proposed changes to statutes or rules, and other issues the council may
4.3choose to report.
4.4 Sec. 2. [256.9747] AGE-FRIENDLY MINNESOTA GRANTS.
4.5 Subdivision 1.Age-friendly community grants.The commissioner of human services,
4.6in collaboration with the Minnesota Board on Aging and the Age-Friendly Minnesota
4.7Council, shall develop the age-friendly community grant program to help communities,
4.8including cities, counties, other municipalities, Tribes, and collaborative efforts, become
4.9age-friendly communities, with an emphasis on structures, services, and community features
4.10necessary to support older adult residents, including but not limited to:
4.11 (1) coordination of health and social services;
4.12 (2) transportation access;
4.13 (3) safe, affordable places to live;
4.14 (4) reducing social isolation and improving wellness;
4.15 (5) combating ageism and racism against older adults;
4.16 (6) accessible outdoor space and buildings;
4.17 (7) communication and information technology access; and
4.18 (8) opportunities to stay engaged and economically productive.
4.19 Subd. 2.Age-friendly technical assistance grants.The commissioner of human services,
4.20in collaboration with the Minnesota Board on Aging and the Age-Friendly Minnesota
4.21Council, shall develop the age-friendly technical assistance grant program to support
4.22communities and organizations who need assistance in applying for age-friendly community
4.23grants and implementing various aspects of their grant-funded projects.
4.24 Sec. 3. Laws 2021, chapter 30, article 12, section 5, as amended by Laws 2021, First
4.25Special Session chapter 7, article 17, section 2, and Laws 2023, chapter 61, article 2, section
4.2635, is amended to read:
4.27 Sec. 5. GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON AN AGE-FRIENDLY MINNESOTA.
4.28 The Governor's Council on an Age-Friendly Minnesota, established in Executive Order
4.2919-38, shall: (1) work to advance age-friendly policies; and (2) coordinate state, local, and
4.30private partners' collaborative work on emergency preparedness, with a focus on older
4Sec. 3.
REVISOR DTT/EN 25-0439203/05/25 5.1adults, communities, and persons in zip codes most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
5.2The Governor's Council on an Age-Friendly Minnesota is extended and expires June 30,
5.32027 2025.
5.4 Sec. 4. AGE-FRIENDLY MINNESOTA COUNCIL; CONTINUATION OF
5.5APPOINTMENTS AND DESIGNATION OF INITIAL TERMS.
5.6 Subdivision 1.Continuation of appointments.Each member of the Governor's Council
5.7on an Age-Friendly Minnesota, established in Executive Order 19-38, serving on June 30,
5.82025, shall be deemed appointed to the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council by the applicable
5.9appointing authority under Minnesota Statutes, section 256.9746, effective July 1, 2025.
5.10 Subd. 2.First meeting.The individual who was serving as chairperson of the Governor's
5.11Council on an Age-Friendly Minnesota, established in Executive Order 19-38, as of June
5.1230, 2025, must convene the first meeting of the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council no later
5.13than July 9, 2025. The former chairperson of the Governor's Council on an Age-Friendly
5.14Minnesota shall preside over the first meeting until the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council
5.15elects a chairperson.
5.16 Subd. 3.Designation of initial terms.The governor must notify the secretary of state
5.17which initial public members of the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council will have terms
5.18coterminous with that of the governor or request that the secretary of state randomly
5.19determine which initial public members will have terms coterminous with the governor's
5.20term.
5.21 Sec. 5. APPROPRIATION; AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY GRANTS.
5.22 $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated from
5.23the general fund to the commissioner of human services for age-friendly community grants
5.24under Minnesota Statutes, section 256.9747, subdivision 1.
5.25 Sec. 6. APPROPRIATION; AGE-FRIENDLY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
5.26GRANTS.
5.27 $863,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $863,000 in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated from the
5.28general fund to the commissioner of human services for age-friendly technical assistance
5.29grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 256.9747, subdivision 2.
5Sec. 6.
REVISOR DTT/EN 25-0439203/05/25