State Plan on Aging

As mandated under the Older Americans Act, every four years, the Minnesota Board on Aging submits a State Plan on Aging to the Administration on Community Living (ACL). This plan covers the period of October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2027.

The purpose of the State Plan on Aging is to document achievements and planned activities related to the state's long-term supports and services planning efforts, provide a state framework for activities related to programs/activities/services to Older Adults, and provide assurances to ACL that the provisions of the Older Americans Act will be followed.

The FFY 2024-2027 State Plan on Aging (PDF) is now available.

The Older Americans Act of 1965 dedicates federal funding to support older adults across the United States. It was the first federal level initiative aimed at providing comprehensive services for older adults. It created the National Aging Network, comprising the Administration on Aging on the federal level, State Units on Aging at the state level and Area Agencies on Aging at the local level. The network provides funding, based primarily on the percentage of a planning and service area’s population of older adults aged 60 and older, for nutrition, supportive home and community-based services, disease prevention/health promotion services and caregiving services.

On February 6, 2024, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) released a final rule to update the regulations implementing its Older Americans Act (OAA) programs. The new regulations will take effect on March 15, 2024, but State Units on Aging have until October 1, 2025 to comply.

The final rule contains updates that reflect the needs of today’s older adults, align the regulations to the current statute, address issues that have emerged since the last update, and clarify a number of requirements. The final rule aims to better support the national aging network that delivers OAA services and improve program implementation, with the ultimate goal of better serving older adults.

The Minnesota Board on Aging, in consultation the Area Agencies on Aging, developed policies and procedures to reflect the final rule updated regulations.

For additional information on the final rule, visit 2024 Final Rule to Update Older Americans Act Regulations | ACL Administration for Community Living.

Key Provisions of the Final Rule

• Clarifies requirements for state and area plans on aging and details requirements for coordination among tribal, state and local programs.
• Improves consistency of definitions and operations between state and tribal OAA programs.
• Clarifies and strengthens provisions for meeting OAA requirements for prioritizing people with the greatest social and economic needs.
• Specifies the broad range of people who can receive services, how funds can be used, fiscal requirements, and other requirements that apply across programs.
• Clarifies required state and local agency policies and procedures. For example, the final rule establishes expectations regarding conflicts of interest.
• Requires state agencies to establish flexible and streamlined processes for area agencies to receive approval for contracts and commercial relationships.
• Incorporates guidance for the National Family Caregiver Support Program and the Native American Caregiver Support Program, which were authorized since the last update to the OAA regulations.
• Addresses emergency preparedness and response, incorporating lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Establishes expectations for legal assistance and activities to prevent elder abuse.
• Clarifies the role of the aging network in defending against the imposition of guardianship and in promoting alternatives.
• Updates definitions, modernizes requirements, and clarifies flexibilities within the senior nutrition programs. For example, the final rule allows for continuation of innovations utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as carry-out meals provided under the congregate meals program, in certain circumstances.