SF1355

Purpose

• Establishes Healthy Aging and Dementia Education as a focus in Minnesota schools. The goal is to encourage school districts and charter schools to provide instruction on healthy aging and dementia to students in grades 6 through 12, in a way that fits with local health standards and is integrated into current programs, curriculum, or the general school environment.

Main provisions

• Scope of instruction: School districts and charter schools are encouraged to teach healthy aging and dementia to students in grades 6–12.
• Alignment and integration: The instruction should align with local health standards and be integrated into existing programs, curriculum, or the general school environment.
• Resource provision schedule: By July 1, 2026 and every even-numbered year thereafter, the commissioner of education, in consultation with the commissioner of health and dementia advocacy organizations, must provide districts and charter schools with age-appropriate resources on:
  • Strategies to maintain brain health
  • Information on Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia
  • Caring for an elder with a cognitive impairment
• Collaboration: The resource development and delivery involve collaboration among the commissioner of education, the commissioner of health, and dementia advocacy organizations.

Administration and implementation

• New section creation: Establishes a new section (120B.213) in Minnesota Statutes to govern healthy aging and dementia education.
• Oversight entities: The commissioner of education leads implementation, working with the commissioner of health and dementia advocacy organizations to produce and distribute resources.

Timeline and concrete changes

• Effective planning date: Instruction is encouraged now, with a defined requirement to provide resources starting by July 1, 2026.
• Ongoing requirement: Resources must be updated and provided every even-numbered year after 2026.

Significance and potential impact

• Changes to law: Creates a formal mechanism for state-level provision of age-appropriate educational resources on healthy aging and dementia to districts and charter schools, expanding the state’s role in health education within the K–12 system.
• Educational emphasis: Shifts some emphasis toward public health topics (brain health, dementia awareness) within the middle and high school curriculum, even though the instruction itself remains encouraged rather than mandated.
• Stakeholder involvement: Formalizes collaboration among education, health, and dementia advocacy groups in developing and distributing educational materials.

Relevant Terms healthy aging, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, brain health, age-appropriate resources, school districts, charter schools, grades 6 through 12, local health standards, curriculum, general school environment, commissioner of education, commissioner of health, dementia advocacy organizations, even-numbered years, July 1, 2026, caring for an elder with a cognitive impairment, Minnesota Statutes section 120B.213