Public Act 93-0555
SB76 Enrolled LRB093 02027 DRJ 02027 b
AN ACT in relation to health and nutrition.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Nutrition Outreach and Public Education Act.
Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
finds a definite correlation between proper health and
adequate diet and nutrition and hereby recognizes the
importance of federal food and nutrition assistance programs
in minimizing the incidence of hunger and nutrition related
health problems for those who participate in such programs.
The General Assembly also finds that a significant
portion of otherwise eligible residents of Illinois do not
participate in existing federal food assistance programs such
as the food stamp program, school lunch and breakfast
programs, child care food programs, summer food programs, the
special supplemental program for women, infants and children,
congregate meal programs, and home-delivered meal programs.
That lack of participation is, in the General Assembly's
view, due predominantly to a lack of adequate program
information as to eligibility and application procedures, a
lack of access to and in many instances availability of
benefits under those federal food assistance programs, and
the unavailability of federal funding specifically for
outreach efforts to expand program coverage and participation
among eligible persons.
The General Assembly believes that it is in the interest
of the public health of the economically vulnerable residents
of Illinois to establish a program of community-based
nutrition outreach to enroll eligible targeted populations in
federal food and nutrition assistance programs designed for
them and to promote the fuller implementation and utilization
of federal food assistance programs in unserved or
underserved areas.
Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless
the context requires otherwise:
"At-risk populations" means populations including but not
limited to families with children receiving aid under Article
IV of the Illinois Public Aid Code, households receiving
federal supplemental security income payments, households
with incomes at or below 185% of the poverty guidelines
updated annually in the Federal Register by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services under authority of
Section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
1981, recipients of emergency food, elderly or disabled
persons, homeless persons, unemployed persons, and families
and persons residing in rural households who are at risk of
nutritional deficiencies.
"Secretary" means the Secretary of Human Services.
"Food assistance programs" means programs including but
not limited to the food stamp program, school breakfast and
lunch programs, child care food programs, summer food service
programs, the special supplemental programs for women,
infants and children, congregate meal programs, and
home-delivered meal programs.
"High-risk area" means any county or urban area where a
significant percentage or number of those potentially
eligible for food assistance programs are not participating
in such programs.
Section 15. Program established. The Department of
Human Services shall establish a nutrition outreach and
public education program, to be administered by that
Department in cooperation with the Department on Aging and
the State Superintendent of Education. The program shall be
established to ensure maximum participation by eligible
persons in federal and State food assistance programs. The
program shall be structured so as to increase participation
statewide but with particular attention to high-risk areas
with a focus on certain at-risk populations.
Section 20. Program features. Directly or through
contract, the Secretary shall administer a program of
nutrition outreach that shall include but shall not be
limited to the following features:
(1) Statewide coordination.
(2) Coordination of efforts among State and local
agencies, including but not limited to the Department of
Human Services, the Department on Aging, the State
Superintendent of Education, and community agencies
involved in food assistance programs.
(3) Compilation of statistical data from State and
local agencies and dissemination to community
organizations.
(4) Provision of information as to the availability
of, eligibility criteria for, and application procedures
for food assistance programs.
(5) Nutrition education.
Section 25. Grants to community organizations. The
Secretary shall make grants from moneys appropriated for that
purpose to community-based organizations or consortia of
community-based organizations in high-risk areas for outreach
activities. The outreach activities shall include but shall
not be limited to the following:
(1) Identifying barriers to participation in food
assistance programs, including the unavailability of such
programs.
(2) Identifying at-risk populations and individuals
within the at-risk populations who are not participating.
(3) Disseminating information to and conducting
training sessions for local groups.
(4) Disseminating information as to program
availability, individual or household eligibility, and
application procedures.
(5) Providing nutrition education for at-risk
populations.
(6) Assisting families and individuals in meeting
eligibility requirements.
Section 30. Criteria for high-risk areas. In
determining whether a particular geographic area is a
high-risk area and eligible for a grant, the Secretary may
consider factors including but not limited to the following:
(1) Whether 50% or more of those potentially
eligible are not participating in the food stamp program,
or whether a significant number of the potentially
eligible population, particularly the working poor and
the elderly, are not participating.
(2) Whether 25% or more of the children are
eligible for free or reduced-price meals in the school
lunch program.
(3) Infant mortality or morbidity rates.
(4) Economic indicators including but not limited
to the unemployment rate, prevailing wages, and recent
loss of job base.
(5) A high concentration of at-risk populations.
(6) The unavailability of food assistance programs
in the area because of lack of provider participation or
lack of knowledge about the existence of such programs.
Section 35. Reports. The Secretary shall report on or
before January 1 of each year to the Governor and the General
Assembly concerning the implementation of this Act. The
report shall include information as to community
organizations funded through grants, the effects of the
nutrition outreach and public education program on
participation in food assistance programs, and
recommendations regarding expansion of the nutrition outreach
and public education program.
Section 40. Performance contingent on funding. The
performance of activities required by this Act is contingent
on the appropriation of funds for the purpose of nutrition
outreach and public education.