HB3990 Engrossed LRB096 11767 JDS 22546 b

1     AN ACT concerning local farm and food products.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the "Local
5 Food, Farms, and Jobs Act".
 
6     Section 5. Definitions.
7     (a) "Local farm or food products" are products grown,
8 processed, packaged, and distributed by Illinois citizens or
9 businesses located wholly within the borders of Illinois.
 
10     Section 10. Procurement goals for local farm or food
11 products.
12     (a) In order to create, strengthen, and expand local farm
13 and food economies throughout Illinois, it shall be the goal of
14 this State that 20% of all food and food products purchased by
15 State agencies and State-owned facilities, including, without
16 limitation, facilities for persons with mental health and
17 developmental disabilities, correctional facilities, and
18 public universities, shall, by 2020, be local farm or food
19 products.
20     (b) The Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council established
21 under this Act shall support and encourage that 10% of food and
22 food products purchased by entities funded in part or in whole

 

 

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1 by State dollars, which spend more than $25,000 per year on
2 food or food products for its students, residents, or clients,
3 including, without limitation, public schools, child care
4 facilities, after-school programs, and hospitals, shall, by
5 2020, be local farm or food products.
6     (c) To meet the goals set forth in this Section, when a
7 State contract for purchase of food or food products is to be
8 awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, an otherwise
9 qualified bidder who will fulfill the contract through the use
10 of local farm or food products may be given preference over
11 other bidders, provided that the cost included in the bid of
12 local farm or food products is not more than 10% greater than
13 the cost included in a bid that is not for local farm or food
14 products.
15     (d) All State agencies and State-owned facilities that
16 purchase food and food products shall, with the assistance of
17 the Council, develop a system for (i) identifying the
18 percentage of local farm or food products purchased for fiscal
19 year 2011 as the baseline; and (ii) tracking and reporting
20 local farm or food products purchases on an annual basis.
 
21     Section 15. Creation of the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs
22 Council.
23     (a) By November 1, 2009, the Illinois Department of
24 Agriculture shall establish a not-for-profit corporation,
25 under the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986, that

 

 

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1 shall be known as the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council
2 ("Local Food Council" or "Council").
3     (b) The purpose of the Local Food Council shall be to
4 facilitate the growth of an Illinois-based local farm and food
5 product economy that revitalizes rural and urban communities,
6 promotes healthy eating with access to fresh foods, creates
7 jobs, ensures a readily available supply of safe food in an
8 emergency event, and supports economic growth through making
9 local farm or food products available to all Illinois citizens.
10     (c) The Department of Agriculture shall serve as the fiscal
11 agent for the Local Food Council.
 
12     Section 20. Responsibilities of the Illinois Local Food,
13 Farms, and Jobs Council. The responsibilities of the Local Food
14 Council include, but are not limited to, the following:
15     (a) To assist State agencies, State-owned facilities, and
16 other entities with the purchase of local farm or food products
17 and with tracking and reporting of such purchases in order to
18 meet the goals established in Section 10 of this Act.
19     (b) To assist local farm and food entrepreneurs to identify
20 and secure necessary resources and equipment to begin,
21 maintain, and expand projects and networks necessary for the
22 development of local farm or food products; provided, however,
23 that it is the intent of this Act that the Local Food Council
24 will facilitate program startups and then relinquish rights,
25 benefits, and control within a reasonably short duration of

 

 

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1 time.
2     (c) To facilitate the building of infrastructure,
3 including aggregation, processing, storage, packaging, and
4 distribution facilities necessary to move local farm or food
5 products to local and other markets.
6     (d) To support and expand programs that recruit, train, and
7 provide technical assistance to Illinois farmers and residents
8 in order to encourage the production of local farm or food
9 products.
10     (e) To coordinate interagency policies, initiatives, and
11 procedures promoting local farm and food products in Illinois
12 communities, by working with and involving State, federal, and
13 local agencies, as well as community based organizations,
14 educational institutions, and trade organizations in executing
15 the purposes of this Act.
16     (f) To facilitate the elimination of legal barriers
17 hindering the development of a local farm and food economy by
18 working with federal, State, and local public health agencies,
19 other agencies and applicable entities, and the Illinois
20 Attorney General to create consistent and compatible
21 regulations for the production, storage, distribution, and
22 marketing of local farm or food products.
23     (g) To facilitate the use of public lands for growing local
24 farm or food products by working with governmental entities at
25 the local, State, and federal levels.
26     (h) To set annual goals for all purchases of local farm or

 

 

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1 food products by Illinois residents and to monitor the
2 development and expansion of a local farm and food economy
3 through data collection, tracking, measurement, analysis, and
4 reporting on progress made in an annual report to the Illinois
5 General Assembly.
6     (i) To initiate and facilitate public awareness campaigns
7 about the economic benefits of a local farm and food economy.
 
8     Section 25. Governance of the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs
9 Council.
10     (a) The Local Food Council shall be governed by a 35-member
11 board of directors, which shall be comprised of the following:
12         (1) one representative each from the Department of
13     Agriculture; the Department of Commerce and Economic
14     Opportunity; the Department of Public Health; the
15     Department of Human Services, Office of Health and
16     Prevention; the Department of Human Services, Office of
17     Security and Emergency Preparedness;
18         (2) the Director of the Lieutenant Governor's Rural
19     Affairs Council;
20         (3) one agricultural specialist from the University of
21     Illinois Extension;
22         (4) four local farm or food product farmers
23     representing different agribusiness sectors, including,
24     but not limited to, the dairy, meat, vegetable, and grain
25     sectors;

 

 

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1         (5) four local farm or food product producers
2     representing different flower, fruit, viticulture,
3     aquaculture, forestry, seeds, fiber, vegetable,
4     ornamental, or other specialty crop sectors;
5         (6) two local farm or food product processors;
6         (7) two local farm or food product distributors;
7         (8) three representatives of not-for-profit
8     educational organizations that specialize in supporting
9     and expanding local farm or food product networks;
10         (9) one certifier of specialty local farm or food
11     products, such as an organic, naturally grown, biodynamic,
12     Halal, or Kosher certifier;
13         (10) one local farm or food product consumer
14     representative;
15         (11) two representatives of farm organizations;
16         (12) one representative from a philanthropic
17     organization supporting the development of local farm or
18     food products;
19         (13) one local farm or food product retailer;
20         (14) two municipal representatives from different
21     communities in the State actively engaged in the
22     development of local farm or food products;
23         (15) four representatives from community-based
24     organizations focusing on access to local farm or food
25     products, including at least 3 minority members; and
26         (16) one chef specializing in the preparation of

 

 

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1     locally grown foods.
2     (b) The 29 non-state governmental board members shall be
3 appointed by the Governor to 3-year staggered terms as
4 determined by the Governor. Persons may be nominated by
5 organizations representing the sectors outlined in subsection
6 (a) of this Section. Vacancies shall be filled by the Governor.
7     (c) The board of directors shall have all the rights,
8 titles, powers, privileges, and obligations provided for in the
9 General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986. It shall elect
10 its presiding officers from among its members and may elect or
11 appoint an executive committee, other committees, and
12 subcommittees to conduct the business of the organization.
13     (d) The Local Food Council may solicit grants, loans,
14 contributions, or appropriations from public or private
15 sources and may enter into any contracts, grants, loans, or
16 agreements with respect to the use of such funds to execute the
17 purposes of this Act. No debt or obligation of the Local Food
18 Council shall become the debt or obligation of the State.
19     (e) Subject to the availability of public or private funds,
20 the board of directors may employ an executive director, other
21 staff, or independent contractors necessary to execute the
22 purposes of this Act, and it may fix the compensation,
23 benefits, terms, and conditions of those persons' employment.
24     (f) The State governmental agencies represented on the
25 board of directors shall re-direct existing staff, as
26 appropriations permit, to assist in executing the purposes of

 

 

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1 this Act, and they may provide office space, meeting space, and
2 other research and communication services as appropriate.
 
3     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
4 becoming law.