§ 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 § 292 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.