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| Public Act 100-0636 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning public aid.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by | ||||
changing Section 12-4.50 as follows: | ||||
(305 ILCS 5/12-4.50) | ||||
(Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2019) | ||||
Sec. 12-4.50. Healthy Local Food Incentives Program. | ||||
(a) Legislative findings. Diet and other lifestyle choices | ||||
contribute to more than half of all deaths in Illinois. Health | ||||
risk factors include smoking, obesity, stress, nutrition, high | ||||
blood pressure, and alcohol and drug use. Illinois residents | ||||
should be encouraged to adopt diets and lifestyles that lead to | ||||
wellness. The State can help provide that encouragement by | ||||
funding wellness programs that enhance the health of Illinois | ||||
residents. Healthy local food incentives encourage wellness | ||||
among some of the most vulnerable residents of Illinois (those | ||||
whose incomes are below the poverty line and who often have | ||||
limited access to fresh, healthy, and affordable foods) by | ||||
doubling the purchasing power of LINK cardholders at farmers | ||||
markets across the State. The benefits of such a program | ||||
include: an increase in population health, Medicaid health care | ||||
cost savings, decreased incidence of preventable diseases, | ||||
increased revenue for Illinois small farmers, and economic | ||
stimulus for the region. | ||
(b) Definitions. As used in this Section: | ||
"FINI eligible fruits and vegetables" means any variety of | ||
fresh, canned, dried, or frozen whole or cut fruits and | ||
vegetables without added sugars, fats, or oils, and salt (i.e. | ||
sodium), as defined by the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive | ||
Grant Program administered by the United States Department of | ||
Agriculture. | ||
"LINK card" means an electronic benefits transfer card | ||
issued by the Department of Human Services for the purpose of | ||
enabling a user of the card to obtain SNAP benefits or cash. | ||
"SNAP" means the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance | ||
Program. | ||
(c) The Department of Human Services shall establish a | ||
Healthy Local Food Incentives Program to double the purchasing | ||
power of Illinois residents with limited access to fresh fruits | ||
and vegetables. The Healthy Local Food Incentives Fund is | ||
created as a special fund in the State treasury for the purpose | ||
of implementing the Healthy Local Food Incentives Program. All | ||
moneys received pursuant to this Section shall be deposited | ||
into the Healthy Local Food Incentives Fund. | ||
(d) Subject to appropriation, the Department of Human | ||
Services shall make an annual grant of $500,000 from the Fund | ||
to a qualified Illinois non-profit organization or agency, | ||
which shall be distributed to participating Illinois farmers | ||
markets for the purpose of providing matching dollar incentives | ||
(up to a specified amount) for the dollar value of SNAP | ||
benefits spent on FINI eligible fruits and vegetables at | ||
participating Illinois farmers markets and direct | ||
producer-to-consumer venues. | ||
(e) The designated qualified non-profit organization or | ||
agency shall have a demonstrated track record of: | ||
(1) building a statewide network; | ||
(2) designing and implementing successful healthy food | ||
incentive programs that connect SNAP recipients with local | ||
producers; | ||
(3) implementing funds distribution and reporting | ||
processes; | ||
(4) providing training and technical assistance to | ||
farmers markets; | ||
(5) conducting community outreach and data collection; | ||
and | ||
(6) providing full accounting and administration of | ||
funds distributed to farmers markets. | ||
(f) 100% of the moneys deposited into the Fund shall be | ||
distributed to participating Illinois farmers markets for | ||
healthy local food incentives. | ||
(g) Within 90 days after the end of a grant cycle, the | ||
designated qualified non-profit organization or agency shall | ||
submit a progress report to the Department of Human Services. | ||
The progress report shall include the following information: | ||
(1) the names and locations of Illinois farmers markets | ||
and direct producer-to-consumer venues that received funds | ||
distributed under the Program; | ||
(2) the dollar amount of funds awarded to each | ||
participating Illinois farmers market and direct | ||
producer-to-consumer venue; | ||
(3) the dollar amount of SNAP benefits, and funds | ||
provided under the Program, that were spent at Illinois | ||
farmers markets participating in the Program, as well as | ||
the dollar amount of any unspent funds available under the | ||
Program; | ||
(4) the number of SNAP transactions carried out | ||
annually at participating Illinois farmers markets; | ||
(5) the impact of the Program on increasing the | ||
quantity of fresh fruits and vegetables consumed by SNAP | ||
families, as determined by customer surveys. | ||
(h) No later than December 31, 2017, the Department of | ||
Human Services shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of | ||
this Section. | ||
(i) (Blank). This Section is repealed on June 30, 2019.
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(Source: P.A. 99-928, eff. 1-20-17.)
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