§ 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 director 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.