N.Y. Elder Law § 202: General powers and duties of office

§ 202. General powers and duties of office. The office shall have the

following powers and duties:

1. to advise and assist the governor in developing policies designed

to help meet the needs of the aging and to encourage the full

participation of the aging in society;

2. to coordinate state programs and activities relating to the aging;

3. to stimulate community interest in the problems of the aging;

4. to promote public awareness of resources available for the aging,

and to refer the public to the appropriate departments and agencies of

the state and federal governments for advice, assistance and available

services in connection with particular problems;

5. to cooperate with and assist political subdivisions of the state in

the development of local programs for the aging;

6. to consult and cooperate with universities, colleges and

institutions in the state for the development of courses of study for

persons engaged in public and private programs for the aging;

7. to make such studies of needs of the aging as the director may deem

appropriate or as may be requested by the governor;

8. to foster and support studies, research and education relating to

problems of and services for the aging;

9. to serve as a clearinghouse for information relating to the needs

of the aging;

10. to sponsor conferences relating to problems of and services for

the aging;

11. to enter into contracts, within the amount available by

appropriation therefor, with individuals, organizations and

institutions, in the exercise of any of its powers or the performance of

any of its duties;

12. to make recommendations to the governor for the presentation of an

annual award to a senior citizen for outstanding and unusual

contribution to his or her community;

13. to conduct a program of education and information on age

discrimination and the preparation and filing of complaints relating to

persons sixty years of age or older;

14. to, in cooperation with the department of state:

(a) prepare or cause to be prepared and made available to cities,

towns and villages model zoning and planning guidelines that foster

age-integrated communities including provisions to allow for accessory

senior citizen units in areas zoned for single family residences and for

mixed-use development accommodating senior citizen residential housing;

and

(b) make recommendations, in consultation with the division of housing

and community renewal, to the governor and legislature for assisting

mixed-use age-integrated housing development or redevelopment

demonstration projects in urban, suburban and rural areas of the state.

The director of the office for the aging and secretary of state shall

establish an advisory committee for purposes of this subdivision. Such

committee shall include, but not be limited to, top representatives of

local government, senior citizen organizations, developers, senior

service providers and planners;

15. to periodically, in consultation with the state commissioner of

veterans' services, review the programs operated by the office to ensure

that the needs of the state's aging veteran population are being met and

to develop improvements to programs to meet such needs;

16. to the extent appropriations are available, and in consultation

with the office of children and family services, conduct a public

education campaign that emphasizes zero-tolerance for elder abuse. Such

campaign shall include information about the signs and symptoms of elder

abuse, identification of potential causes of elder abuse, which includes

identity theft, resources available to assist in the prevention of elder

abuse, where suspected elder abuse can be reported, contact information

for programs offering services to victims of elder abuse such as

counseling, and assistance with arranging personal care and shelter.

Such campaign may include, but not be limited to: printed educational

and informational materials; audio, video, electronic, other media; and

public service announcements or advertisements; and

17. subject to an appropriation, make available to designated agencies

as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section two hundred

fourteen of this title, a training program for the purpose of raising

awareness, removing barriers and improving services for older adults

based on their sexual orientation and gender identity or expression as

defined in section two hundred ninety-two of the executive law. Such

training program may include:

(i) an overview of the history, unique needs, and concerns of lesbian,

gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual, gender non-conforming and gender

non-binary older adults;

(ii) reasons why lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual, gender

non-conforming and gender non-binary older adults may choose not to

self-identify; and

(iii) tools that may be used to incorporate lesbian, gay, bisexual,

transgender, asexual, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary older

adult concerns into direct care and steps that may be taken to improve

the quality of services and support provided.