102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB1668

 

Introduced 2/26/2021, by Sen. Linda Holmes

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Illinois Harvest to Homes Pilot Program Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture, with meaningful input from stakeholders, shall develop an Illinois Harvest to Homes Pilot Program for a period of 5 years under which eligible entities may receive funding to provide agricultural surplus to communities of need. Creates an advisory council to support the Program. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules to implement the program no later than 90 days after the effective date of the Act. Provides that aspects of the program that are eligible for funding may include: (1) reimbursement to growers for picking, packing, and processing agricultural surplus; (2) transportation to the food banks; (3) reimbursement to food banks for storage and distribution costs; (4) capacity building grants for food banks to invest in facility upgrades for processing agricultural surplus; (5) marketing and promotional activities related to the pilot program; and (6) program administration. Provides for reporting requirements. Effective immediately.


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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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Illinois Harvest to Homes Pilot Program Act.
 
6    Section 3. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
7finds that:
8    (1) In this State, nearly 1,500,000 people are struggling
9with hunger and of them 450,000 are children.
10    (2) This State has a potential agricultural surplus of
112,600 acres.
12    (3) Reporting shows that 50% of food grown is lost before
13consumption, including product that is not suitable for sale,
14but still edible.
15    (4) Providing funding to connect agricultural surplus with
16food banks can reduce food insecurity within vulnerable
17populations.
 
18    Section 5. Pilot program. The Department of Agriculture,
19with meaningful input from stakeholders, shall develop an
20Illinois Harvest to Homes Pilot Program for a period of 5 years
21under which eligible entities may receive funding to provide
22agricultural surplus to communities of need.
 

 

 

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1    Section 10. Advisory Council. The program shall be
2administered by an organization selected by the Department and
3approved by the advisory council. The organization chosen must
4be a statewide organization whose membership is food banks.
5The advisory council shall be comprised of:
6    (1) one representative from a statewide environmental
7nonprofit organization;
8    (2) one representative from a statewide organization
9advocating on behalf of farmers;
10    (3) one representative from a statewide organization whose
11members support specialty crops and sustainable agriculture;
12    (4) one representative from a food bank from a county with
13a population over 3,000,000;
14    (5) one representative from a food bank encompassing
15northern Illinois;
16    (6) one representative from a food bank serving central or
17southern Illinois communities; and
18    (7) one representative from the Department of Agriculture.
 
19    Section 15. Rulemaking. The Department of Agriculture
20shall adopt rules to implement the program no later than 90
21days after the effective date of this Act. These rules shall
22include, but are not limited to, entities and action eligible
23for funding, methods to connect growers and food banks, and
24methods to identify sources of surpluses. Aspects of the

 

 

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1program that are eligible for funding may include:
2    (1) reimbursement to growers for picking, packing, and
3processing agricultural surplus;
4    (2) transportation to the food banks;
5    (3) reimbursement to food banks for storage and
6distribution costs;
7    (4) capacity building grants for food banks to invest in
8facility upgrades for processing agricultural surplus;
9    (5) marketing and promotional activities related to the
10pilot program; and
11    (6) program administration.
 
12    Section 20. Reporting. After 3 years from the date of
13implementation of the Illinois Harvest to Homes Pilot Program
14and after 5 years from the date of implementation of the pilot
15program, the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with
16the Department of Human Services Commission to End Hunger
17shall submit a report to the General Assembly which documents
18the number of people served by the program information
19regarding the program's implementation.
 
20    Section 25. Repeal. This Act is repealed on July 1, 2027.
 
21    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
22becoming law.