97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB2012

 

Introduced 2/10/2011, by Sen. Michael W. Frerichs

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
505 ILCS 82/15
505 ILCS 82/20
505 ILCS 82/25
30 ILCS 105/5.786 new

    Amends the Food and Agriculture Research Act. Provides that appropriations for the purposes of the Act shall be made to the Illinois Department of Agriculture for research to Illinois public and non-public institutions of higher education. Provides that the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research shall prepare and deliver to the General Assembly, Governor, Director of Agriculture, and the food and agricultural research administrators at each of the public and non-public institutions of higher learning that receive research dollars under the Act an annual report providing a summary and detailed account of the research programs being supported. Provides any additional grants or donations for research shall be deposited into the Food and Agricultural Research Fund and may be appropriated and used for the purposes of the Act. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Food and Agricultural Research Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning agriculture.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Food and Agriculture Research Act is amended
5by changing Sections 15, 20, and 25 as follows:
 
6    (505 ILCS 82/15)
7    Sec. 15. Allocation of funds. Appropriations for the
8purposes of this Act shall be made to the Illinois Department
9of Agriculture, which shall allocate funds appropriated under
10this Act for research to Illinois public and non-public
11institutions of higher education, as defined in Section 2 of
12the Higher Education Cooperation Act, as established by the
13Board of Directors of the Illinois Council on Food and
14Agricultural Research, which is a non-profit, non-political
15organization. The Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural
16Research shall prepare and deliver to the General Assembly,
17Governor, Director of Agriculture, and the food and
18agricultural research administrators at each of the public and
19non-public institutions of higher learning that receive
20research dollars under this Act an annual report providing a
21summary and detailed account of the research programs being
22supported. the following entities providing each the pro rata
23share indicated: the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station,

 

 

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182%; Southern Illinois University College of Agriculture, 11%;
2Illinois State University Department of Agriculture, 4%;
3Western Illinois University Department of Agriculture, 3%.
4Three years after the effective date of this Act and every 3
5years thereafter, the Director of Agriculture shall review
6these percentages, ascertain their appropriateness, and report
7to the General Assembly.
8    To offset the cost of administering the appropriation, the
9Department of Agriculture may retain $50,000 or 1/2 of 1% of
10the total appropriation, whichever is less.
11    To offset the cost of members of C-FAR incurred while
12performing their duties as official group representatives, up
13to 1% of the funds appropriated for the purposes of this Act
14may be allocated by the Department of Agriculture to cover
15these expenses. Members shall serve without compensation, but
16shall be reimbursed for ordinary and necessary expenses
17incurred in the performance of their duties. The reimbursement
18rates shall not exceed those rates that apply to State
19employees.
20(Source: P.A. 89-182, eff. 7-19-95; 90-94, eff. 1-1-98.)
 
21    (505 ILCS 82/20)
22    Sec. 20. Use of funds. The universities receiving funds
23under this Act shall work closely with the Illinois Council on
24Food and Agricultural Research to develop and prioritize an
25appropriate research agenda for the State system. To support

 

 

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1that agenda, funds shall be expended as follows:
2        (1) To support a broad program of food and agricultural
3    research, to include, but not limited to, research on
4    natural resource, environmental, economic, nutritional,
5    and social impacts of agricultural systems, human and
6    animal health, and the concerns of consumers of food and
7    agricultural products and services.
8        (2) To build and maintain research capacity including
9    construction, renovation, and maintenance of physical
10    facilities; acquire and maintain equipment; employ
11    appropriately trained and qualified personnel; provide
12    supplies; and meet the expenses required to conduct the
13    research and related technology transfer activities.
14        (3) To A minimum of 15% of the funds allocated to each
15    university shall be used to fund an innovative competitive
16    grants program administered by the Department of
17    Agriculture within the guidelines and procedures
18    established by the Illinois Council on Food and
19    Agricultural Research jointly by the 4 institutions
20    identified in Section 15. The grants program is intended to
21    be organized around desired practical, quantifiable, and
22    achievable objectives in the food and agricultural sector.
23    The Board of Directors of the Illinois Council on Food and
24    Agricultural Research shall evaluate and recommend assist
25    in evaluating and selecting the proposals for funding.
26    Proposals may be submitted by any nonprofit institution,

 

 

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1    organization, or agency in Illinois. The principal
2    investigator must be a qualified researcher with
3    experience in a food and agriculture related discipline.
4    Funds from other sources (both public and private) may be
5    combined with funds appropriated for this Act to support
6    cooperative efforts.
7    (4) It is intended that the universities that receive these
8funds shall continue (i) to operate and maintain the on-campus
9buildings and facilities used in their agriculture related
10programs and provide the support services typically provided
11other university programs, and (ii) to fund agricultural
12programs from the higher education budget.
13(Source: P.A. 92-16, eff. 6-28-01.)
 
14    (505 ILCS 82/25)
15    Sec. 25. Administrative oversight.
16    (a) The Department of Agriculture shall provide general
17administrative oversight with the assistance and advice of duly
18elected Board of Directors appointed representatives of the
19Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research. Food and
20agricultural research administrators at each of the
21universities shall administer the specifics of the funded
22research programs program. Annually the Illinois Council on
23Food and Agricultural Research these administrators shall
24prepare a combined proposed budget for the research that the
25Director of Agriculture shall submit to the Governor for

 

 

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1inclusion in the Executive budget and consideration by the
2General Assembly. The budget shall specify major categories of
3proposed expenditures, including salary, wages, and fringe
4benefits; operation and maintenance; supplies and expenses;
5and capital improvements.
6    (b) The Department, with the assistance of the Illinois
7Council on Food and Agricultural Research, may seek additional
8grants and donations for research. Additional funds shall be
9used in conjunction with appropriated funds for research. All
10additional grants and donations for research shall be deposited
11into the Food and Agricultural Research Fund, a special fund
12created in the State treasury, and used as provided in this
13Act. The Food and Agricultural Research Fund shall not be
14subject to sweeps, administrative charges except those in
15Section 15 of this Act, or chargebacks, including, but not
16limited to, those that would in any way result in the transfer
17of any funds from this Fund to any other fund of this State or
18in having any such funds utilized for any purpose other than
19the express purposes set forth in this Act.
20(Source: P.A. 89-182, eff. 7-19-95.)
 
21    Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
22Section 5.786 as follows:
 
23    (30 ILCS 105/5.786 new)
24    Sec. 5.786. The Food and Agricultural Research Fund.
 

 

 

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1    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
2becoming law.