BOARD/COMMISSION:  African American Health State Advisory Council

ACTIVITY SUMMARY

 The commissioner of health shall establish and administer the African American Health State Advisory Council.

The council shall:

(1) identify health disparities found in African American communities and contributing factors;

(2) recommend to the commissioner for review any statutes, rules, or administrative policies or practices that would address African American health disparities;

(3) recommend policies and strategies to the commissioner of health to address disparities specifically affecting African American health;

(4) form work groups of council members who are persons who provide and receive services and representatives of advocacy groups;

(5) provide the work groups with clear guidelines, standardized parameters, and tasks for the work groups to accomplish; and

(6) annually submit to the commissioner a report that summarizes the activities of the council, identifies disparities specially affecting the health of African American Minnesotans, and makes recommendations to address identified disparities.

The commissioner or commissioner's designee shall:

(1) maintain and actively engage with the council established in this section;

(2) based on recommendations of the council, review identified department or other related policies or practices that maintain health inequities and disparities that particularly affect African Americans in Minnesota;

(3) in partnership with the council, recommend or implement action plans and resources necessary to address identified disparities and advance African American health equity;

(4) support interagency collaboration to advance African American health equity; and

(5) support member participation in the council, including participation in educational and community engagement events across Minnesota that specifically address African American health equity.