Establishes Age-Friendly State Advisory Council and New Jersey Age-Friendly Grants Program in DHS.

A5341

ASSEMBLY, No. 5341

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED JUNE 28, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� BRIAN BERGEN

District 26 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Age-Friendly State Advisory Council and
New Jersey Age-Friendly Grants Program in DHS.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

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.� �