The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging (MNRAAA) provides advocacy, information, resources and assistance so that older adults can maintain the lifestyle of their choice.

MNRAAA’s Legislative Priorities for 2021:

1. Volunteer Drivers

   • MNRAAA supports and partners with the Volunteer Driver Coalition of Minnesota to define a volunteer driver as “not for hire.” MNRAAA also supports that volunteer drivers should not be required to carry commercial insurance coverage and are not subject to “for-hire” or “ride share” regulations. Finally, MNRAAA supports creating a state income tax subtraction for volunteer drivers to reduce their liability in Minnesota.
   • Voluteer Driver Coalition: https://volunteerdrivermn.org/

2. Age Friendly Minnesota

   • MNRAAA supports Governor Tim Walz Executive Order 19-38 and its expansion. MNRAAA believes this effort will promote a statewide policy that stimulates healthy aging through older adults’ engagement in their communities. MNRAAA supports enrolling the State of Minnesota into the World Health Organization (WHO)/American Association of Retired Person (AARP) Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.
   • Age Friendly Minnesota: https://mn.gov/dhs/age-friendly-mn/

3. Broadband

   • MNRAAA supports the expansion and implementation of affordable broadband across the state of Minnesota. MNRAAA supports developing a public-private statewide telepresence strategy to maximize telehealth resources while advancing health equity.  
   • Minnesota Rural Broadband Coalition: https://mnruralbroadbandcoalition.com/

Above is not an all-inclusive list of MNRAAA’s legislative priorities this year due to the extraordinary challenges that COVID-19 has caused.

The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging Data Profile includes a variety of information about the older adult population in the twenty seven-county area of the Southwest Planning and Service Area (SW PSA).