231.23  Department — duties and authority.
  The department shall:
  1.  Administer the state plan on aging developed pursuant to section 231.31.
  2.  Review and approve area plans developed under section 231.33.
  3.  Coordinate state activities related to the purposes of this chapter. State activities shall include, at a minimum, home and community-based services such as employment support, community living, and service coordination.
  4.  Advocate for older individuals by reviewing and commenting upon all state plans, budgets, laws, rules, regulations, and policies which affect older individuals and by providing technical assistance to any agency, organization, association, or individual representing the needs of older individuals.
  5.  Divide the state into distinct planning and service areas after considering the geographical distribution of older individuals and individuals with disabilities in the state, the incidence of the need for supportive services, nutrition services, multipurpose senior centers, and legal services, the distribution of older individuals and individuals with disabilities with low income residing in such areas, the distribution of resources available to provide such services or centers, the boundaries of existing areas within the state which are drawn for the planning or administration of supportive services programs, the location of units of general purpose, local government within the state, and any other relevant factors.
  6.  Designate for each area a public or private nonprofit agency or organization as the area agency on aging for that area. The department may revoke the designation of an area agency on aging pursuant to section 231.32.
  7.  Pursuant to commission policy, take into account the views of older Iowans.
  8.  Adopt a method for the distribution of funds available from the federal Act and state appropriations and allocations that takes into account, to the extent feasible, the best available data on the geographic distribution of older individuals and individuals with disabilities in the state.
  9.  Adopt policies and measures to ensure that preference will be given to providing services to older individuals and individuals with disabilities with the greatest economic or social needs, with particular attention to low-income minority individuals, individuals with limited English proficiency, and individuals residing in rural areas.
  10.  Develop, adopt, and enforce administrative rules, including by issuing necessary forms and procedures, to administer the duties specified in this chapter.
  11.  Apply for, receive, and administer grants, devises, donations, and gifts from any source to conduct projects consistent with the purposes of the department. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys received by the department pursuant to this section are not subject to reversion to the general fund of the state.
  12.  Administer state authorized programs.
  13.  Establish a procedure for an area agency on aging to use in selection of members of the agency’s board of directors. The selection procedure shall be incorporated into the bylaws of the board of directors.
  14.  Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A that support the capabilities of the area agencies on aging, and aging and disabilities resource centers, to serve older individuals and individuals with disabilities.
86 Acts, ch 1245, §1011
C87, §249D.23
C93, §231.23
2003 Acts, ch 141, §5; 2005 Acts, ch 45, §6; 2006 Acts, ch 1184, §106; 2007 Acts, ch 81, §1; 2009 Acts, ch 23, §20, 21; 2012 Acts, ch 1086, §7; 2018 Acts, ch 1049, §5; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §580; 2024 Acts, ch 1161, §143, 162
Referred to in §231.33
For future amendments to subsections 4 and 7, effective July 1, 2025, see 2024 Acts, ch 1161, §143, 162
Section amended