Sen. Ram Villivalam

Filed: 10/24/2023

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 457

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 457 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
52-3.204 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.204 new)
7    Sec. 2-3.204. Statewide master contract for prepackaged
8meals.
9    (a) Throughout the State, students depend on schools to
10provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free school
11lunches each day. The General Assembly intends for school
12districts to provide lunch options that satisfy religious
13dietary requirements to the extent practicable.
14    (b) In this Section, "religious dietary food option" means
15meals that meet specific foods and food preparation techniques
16that satisfy religious dietary requirements.

 

 

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1    (c) This Section is subject to appropriation, including
2funding for any administrative costs reasonably incurred by
3the State Board of Education in the administration of this
4Section.
5    (d) Upon the execution of one or more statewide master
6contracts entered into under subsection (g) and annually
7thereafter, the State Board of Education shall notify school
8districts of any prepackaged meal options, including, but not
9limited to, halal and kosher food options, available for
10purchase under a statewide master contract for the upcoming
11school year. A school district shall adopt procedures
12regarding ordering, preparing, and serving prepackaged meal
13options offered under a statewide master contract.
14    A school district may not be charged more than the federal
15free rate of reimbursement for any meal offered under a
16statewide master contract. Any meal offered under a statewide
17master contract shall be eligible for and cost no more than the
18federal free rate of reimbursement.
19    (e) All meal options available under a statewide master
20contract under subsection (g) must meet the federal
21nutritional standards set under the federal Richard B. Russell
22National School Lunch Act. Any meal offered under a statewide
23master contract under subsection (g) may not require a school
24district to purchase any special or additional kitchen
25preparation equipment or storage equipment and may not require
26either any specialized staff, other than those staff members

 

 

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1who are currently available in a school, or any special
2certifications.
3    (f) Any vendor offering halal food products to a school
4district under a statewide master contract under subsection
5(g) shall certify that the food or food product is halal and
6that the vendor is in compliance with the Halal Food Act. Any
7vendor offering kosher food products to a school district
8under a statewide master contract under subsection (g) shall
9certify that the food or food product is kosher and that the
10vendor is in compliance with the Kosher Food Act. A school
11district and the State Board of Education may rely upon these
12certifications.
13    (g) The State Board of Education shall enter into one or
14more statewide master contracts with a vendor or vendors for
15prepackaged meals that meet the requirements of this Section
16for the purpose of providing options to school districts
17statewide to purchase religious dietary food options under
18this Section. The State Board of Education may enter into as
19many contracts as needed in order to provide access for school
20districts statewide.
21    Each statewide master contract must include packaged meal
22delivery directly to any requesting school in this State at a
23uniform delivery cost, regardless of the school's location.
24    The State Board of Education shall notify all school
25districts of the award of a statewide master contract as
26required in subsection (c) of Section 10-20.21 of this Code.

 

 

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1No later than 60 days after receiving notice, a school
2district may purchase prepackaged meals from the contracted
3vendor.
 
4    Section 10. The University of Illinois Hospital Act is
5amended by adding Section 8j as follows:
 
6    (110 ILCS 330/8j new)
7    Sec. 8j. Religious dietary food options.
8    (a) In this Section, "religious dietary food options"
9means meals that meet specific foods and food preparation
10techniques that satisfy religious dietary requirements.
11    (b) The University of Illinois Hospital shall offer, upon
12request provided with reasonable notice, at the University of
13Illinois Hospital, religious dietary food options that comply
14with federal and State nutritional guidelines. After an
15individual submits a request for a religious dietary food
16option, the University of Illinois Hospital shall make
17accommodations for the request as soon as the University of
18Illinois Hospital is able to provide the meals.
19    (c) The provisions of this Section shall not infringe upon
20or affect any obligation in a contract entered into and in
21effect on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act
22of the 103rd General Assembly.
 
23    Section 15. The Halal Food Act is amended by adding

 

 

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1Section 25 as follows:
 
2    (410 ILCS 637/25 new)
3    Sec. 25. State facility halal food products.
4    (a) In this Section, "State-owned or State-operated
5facility" means either of the following:
6        (1) A hospital that is organized under the University
7    of Illinois Hospital Act.
8        (2) A penal institution, as that term is defined under
9    Section 2-14 of the Criminal Code of 2012, that is owned or
10    operated by the State.
11    (b) Any halal food product offered by a State-owned or
12State-operated facility shall be purchased from a
13halal-certified vendor. Any person, organization, or vendor
14falsely representing a food product it provides as halal or
15falsely representing itself as a halal-certified vendor is
16subject to penalties under this Act.
17    (c) The provisions of this Section shall not infringe upon
18or affect any obligation in a contract entered into and in
19effect on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act
20of the 103rd General Assembly.
 
21    Section 20. The Kosher Food Act is amended by adding
22Sections 0.05 and 1.5 and by changing Section 2 as follows:
 
23    (410 ILCS 645/0.05 new)

 

 

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1    Sec. 0.05. Definition. In this Act, "kosher" means
2supervised, prepared under, and maintained in strict
3compliance with the laws and customs of the Jewish religion,
4including, but not limited to, the laws and customs of
5shechita requiring the slaughter of animals according to
6appropriate Jewish law, and in compliance with the strictest
7standards of Jewish law as expressed by reliable, recognized
8Jewish entities and Jewish rabbis.
 
9    (410 ILCS 645/1.5 new)
10    Sec. 1.5. State facility kosher food products.
11    (a) In this Section, "State-owned or State-operated
12facility" means either of the following:
13        (1) A hospital that is organized under the University
14    of Illinois Hospital Act.
15        (2) A penal institution, as that term is defined under
16    Section 2-14 of the Criminal Code of 2012, that is owned or
17    operated by the State.
18    (b) Any kosher food product offered by a State-owned or
19State-operated facility shall be purchased from a
20kosher-certified vendor. Any person, organization, or vendor
21falsely representing a food product it provides as kosher or
22falsely representing itself as a kosher-certified vendor is
23subject to penalties under Section 2 of this Act.
24    (c) The provisions of this Section shall not infringe upon
25or affect any obligation in a contract entered into and in

 

 

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1effect on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act
2of the 103rd General Assembly.
 
3    (410 ILCS 645/2)  (from Ch. 56 1/2, par. 288.2)
4    Sec. 2. Any person convicted of violating Section 1 or 1.5
5of this Act, shall for the first offense, be guilty of a Class
6C misdemeanor and for the second and each subsequent offense
7shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
8(Source: P.A. 77-2510.)
 
9    Section 25. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
10adding Section 3-7-9 as follows:
 
11    (730 ILCS 5/3-7-9 new)
12    Sec. 3-7-9. Religious dietary food options.
13    (a) In this Section, "religious dietary food options"
14means meals that meet specific foods and food preparation
15techniques that satisfy religious dietary requirements.
16    (b) Any Department of Corrections facility that provides
17food services or cafeteria services for which food products
18are provided or offered for sale shall also offer, upon
19request provided with reasonable notice, religious dietary
20food options that comply with federal and State nutritional
21guidelines at the Department of Corrections facility. After an
22individual submits a request for a religious dietary food
23option, the Department of Corrections facility shall make

 

 

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1accommodations for the request as soon as the Department of
2Corrections facility is able to provide the meals.
3    (c) The provisions of this Section shall not infringe upon
4or affect any obligation in a contract entered into and in
5effect on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act
6of the 103rd General Assembly.
7    (d) Nothing in this Section is intended to expand any
8Department of Corrections facility's obligations beyond that
9required under federal law.
 
10    Section 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are
11severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.
 
12    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect June 1,
132024.".