A5341

An Act establishing the Age-Friendly State Advisory Council and the New Jersey Age-Friendly Grants Program, and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. As used in this act:

“AARP Age-Friendly States and Communities Network” means the AARP initiative, operated since 2012 in affiliation with the World Health Organization, to support states, counties, and municipalities in preparing for the rapid aging of the United States’ population by paying increased attention to the environmental, economic, and social factors that influence the health and well-being of older adults.

“Older adult” means a person who is 65 years of age or older.

2. a. There is established the Age-Friendly State Advisory Council in the Department of Human Services to coordinate work across sectors, including State and local government, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and other entities, to ensure implementation of the 2024 Age-Friendly Blueprint for the State of New Jersey, which was issued in response to Executive Order No. 227 of 2021. The council shall consist of 15 members as follows:

(1) The Commissioners of Community Affairs, Health, Human Services, Labor and Workforce Development, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio;

(2) two members of the public, one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of the President of the Senate, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, which public members shall be any of the following: an older adult who resides in the community and has experienced age-related or racial disparities, a care giver or care partner for an older adult residing in the community, or an expert on aging;

(3) two members of the public, one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, which public members shall be any of the following: a gerontologist, a licensed physician with expertise in providing care to elderly patients, or a person with experience in providing services to meet the physical or social needs of older adults; and

(4) three members of the public to be appointed by the Governor and who represent the New Jersey Area Agencies on Aging, businesses, county or municipal government, or Tribal organizations, and who shall have a demonstrated interest in issues related to aging.

(5) To the extent practicable and consistent with State and federal law, the membership of the council shall reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender diversity of the State.

b. Other State agencies and boards may participate on the council in a nonvoting capacity.

c. (1) Public members of the council shall serve for a term of three years, except that of the initial appointments, two public members shall serve for one year, two public members shall serve for two years, and three public members shall serve for three years.

(2) Vacancies in the membership of the council shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. The public members of the council shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for travel and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties within the limits of funds made available to the council for its purposes.

d. (1) The council shall organize as soon as practicable after the appointment of a majority of its public members, and with the members electing a chairperson and other officers from among its members as deemed necessary and in accordance with the council’s operating procedures. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the council.

(2) The council shall be governed by an executive committee elected by the members of the council. One member of the executive committee shall be the council chairperson.

(3) The executive committee may appoint additional subcommittees and work groups as may be necessary to fulfill the duties of the council.

e. The council shall meet at least quarterly, but may meet more often at the call of the chair. The council may hold hearings at times and in places deemed appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge.

f. The council shall be entitled to call to its assistance, and avail itself of the services of the employees of, any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.

g. The council’s authorities and responsibilities shall not expire absent explicit legislative authorization.

3. The purpose of the council shall be to:

a. oversee and facilitate the execution of the recommendations advanced in the New Jersey Age-Friendly Blueprint, which was issued by the Department of Human Services pursuant to Executive Order No. 227 of 2021, with the goal of making the State’s communities more inclusive, affordable, and accessible for older adults;

b. elevate the voice of older adults in the implementation of the recommendations in the New Jersey Age-Friendly Blueprint;

c. engage with community members, including older adults, caregivers, businesses, experts on aging, advocacy organizations, and other interested parties, to provide updates on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the New Jersey Age-Friendly Blueprint;

d. identify opportunities for and barriers to collaboration and coordination among State, county, and municipal departments and agencies responsible for funding and administering age-friendly programs and public-private partnerships;

e. ensure that programs and policies instituted to implement the recommendations in the New Jersey Age-Friendly Blueprint promote equity and progress toward equitable outcomes by addressing disparities experienced by the State’s older adults, older adults of color, and indigenous older adults; and

f. make budget and policy recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, Executive Branch departments and agencies, and other relevant State entities to ensure execution of the recommendations in the New Jersey Age-Friendly Blueprint.

4. a. There is established in the Department of Human Services the New Jersey Age-Friendly Grants Program, which shall award competitive grants, in an amount of up to $80,000 per awardee, to advance the implementation of the recommendations in the New Jersey Age-Friendly Blueprint, enable municipalities and counties to become age-friendly communities, and enhance the long-term viability and impact of State and local age-friendly programs and projects.

b. The department shall provide grant awardees with one of the following types of grants:

(1) age-friendly community grants, which are one-time awards to support county or municipal government entities, tribal organizations, and these entities and organizations’ nonprofit partners, in developing partnerships, enrolling in the AARP Age-Friendly States and Communities Network, conducting a community needs assessment, and creating an age-friendly action plan; or

(2) age-friendly project grants, which are one-time awards to a nonprofit or government entity to support a project that will advance one or more of the recommendations or priorities identified in the New Jersey Age-Friendly Blueprint.

c. The Commissioner of Human Services shall award technical assistance grants to support county or municipal government entities, tribal organizations, and nonprofit entities with applying for Age-Friendly Community Grants pursuant to subsection b. of this section, and implementing components of grant-funded programs, as necessary.

d. (1) The Commissioner of Human Services shall establish an application for and a process by which counties, municipalities, tribal organizations, and nonprofit organizations shall apply for the grants established pursuant to subsection b. and subsection c. of this section.

(2) The Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Assistant Commissioner of Aging Services in the Department of Human Services and the Age-Friendly State Advisory Council, shall select recipients of the grants established pursuant to subsection b. and c. of this section, as well as the amounts awarded to each recipient.

e. Recipients of grants awarded pursuant to subsection b. and subsection c. of this section shall report annually to the Commissioner of Human Services and the Age-Friendly State Advisory Council concerning relevant outcomes and performance data, as determined by the commissioner and the council, for projects and programs supported by the grants.

5. a. The Age-Friendly State Advisory Council shall report annually to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the council’s activities, progress toward implementing the recommendations in the New Jersey Age-Friendly Blueprint, any proposed statutory or regulatory changes, and any other issues that the council deems relevant.

b. The Commissioner of Human Services and the Age-Friendly State Advisory Council shall report annually to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on grant recipients’ use of grant funding, and relevant outcomes and performance data for projects and programs supported by the New Jersey Age-Friendly Grants Program.

6. The Commissioner Human Services shall, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement this act.

7. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month next following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill would establish the 15 member Age-Friendly State Advisory Council (council) in the Department of Human Services to coordinate work across sectors, including State and local government, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and advocacy groups, to ensure implementation of the 2024 Age-Friendly Blueprint for the State of New Jersey (blueprint).

The council would oversee and facilitate implementation of the blueprint’s recommendations, with the goal of making the State’s communities more inclusive, affordable, and accessible for adults ages 65 and older. The council would identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and coordination among State, county, and municipal departments that fund and administer age-friendly programs. The council would also make budget and policy recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, Executive Branch departments, and other relevant State entities to ensure implementation of the blueprint’s recommendations.

The bill would establish the New Jersey Age-Friendly Grants Program in the Department of Human Services (department) to award competitive grants, of up to $80,000 per recipient, for either: an age-friendly community grant to support work by county and local governments to enroll in the AARP Age-Friendly States and Communities Network, conduct community needs assessments, and create an age-friendly action plan; or an age-friendly project grant to support projects by nonprofit or government entities that will advance recommendations or priorities from the blueprint.

The Commissioner of Human Services (commissioner) also will award technical assistance grants to provide county or municipal governments, tribal organizations, or nonprofit entities with assistance in applying for age-friendly community grants and implementing components of their grant-supported programs and projects. Grant recipients would be required to report annually to the commissioner and the council on relevant outcomes and performance data for funded projects and programs.

The council would report annually to the Governor and the Legislature on the council’s progress toward implementing the blueprint’s recommendations, any proposed statutory or regulatory changes, and any other relevant issues. The department and the council would report annually on grant recipients’ use of New Jersey Age-Friendly Grants Program funding, and outcomes and performance data for funded initiatives.

The blueprint was issued by the department and the council in May 2024, in response to former Governor Murphy’s Executive Order No.227 of 2021. The council disbanded following submission of the blueprint. In 2025, the department provided the inaugural New Jersey Age-Friendly Grants Program awards, using federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. The grant program provided 28 grants to communities for age-friendly community initiatives, and ten grants to local government entities and nonprofit organizations for projects that advance recommendations in the blueprint.