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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Farmers' markets provide not only a valuable
3 marketplace for farmers to sell their products directly to
4 consumers, but also a place for consumers to access fresh
5 fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products; and
 
6     WHEREAS, These markets successfully operate across
7 Illinois; however, there is a lack of comprehensive regulation
8 from one county to the next, resulting in discrepancies between
9 counties regarding the products that may be sold; and
 
10     WHEREAS, In 1999, the Department of Public Health published
11 "Technical Information Bulletin/Food #30" in order to outline
12 the sanitation guidelines required for farmers' markets,
13 producer markets, and other outdoor food sales events; and
 
14     WHEREAS, This bulletin has not been uniformly interpreted
15 across the State; therefore, be it
 
16     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
18 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Task Force
19 on Farmers' Markets, consisting of 14 members appointed as
20 follows: the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of
21 the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and

 

 

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1 the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives shall each
2 appoint one member; the Director of Public Health or his or her
3 designee, the Director of Agriculture or his or her designee, a
4 representative of a general agricultural production
5 association, 3 representatives of local county public health
6 departments appointed by the Director of Public Health and
7 selected from 3 different counties representing each of the
8 northern, central, and southern portions of Illinois, and 4
9 members of the general public who are engaged in local farmers'
10 markets appointed by the Director of Agriculture; and be it
11 further
 
12     RESOLVED, That the Director of Public Health shall serve as
13 the chair; the Task Force shall meet at the call of the Chair;
14 and the members of the Task Force shall serve without
15 compensation; and be it further
 
16     RESOLVED, That the Task Force can appoint members as it
17 sees fit to serve as representatives of local farmers' markets
18 or other concerned parties; and be it further
 
19     RESOLVED, That the duty of the Task Force is to undertake a
20 comprehensive and thorough review of the current
21 implementation of the various Acts that define which products
22 and practices are permitted and which products and practices
23 are not permitted at farmers' markets and other outdoor food

 

 

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1 sale events; and be it further
 
2     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall assist the Department
3 of Public Health in developing interagency agreements and
4 programs and procedures regarding the implementation of the
5 various Acts that define which products and practices are
6 permitted and which products and practices are not permitted at
7 farmers' markets and other outdoor food sale events; and be it
8 further
 
9     RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Public Health
10 shall provide staffing support to the Task Force and shall
11 administer and prepare all reports deemed necessary in
12 conjunction with the Task Force; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That the Task Force may request assistance from
14 any entity necessary or useful for the performance of its
15 duties; and be it further
 
16     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall issue a report with its
17 recommendations to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of
18 the House on or before December 31, 2010.