Sen. Mattie Hunter
Filed: 5/2/2025
 
 

 
 

 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1607 

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1607 by replacing 
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Task 
5Force on Eliminating Food Deserts Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Food desert" means a geographic area where people have 
8limited access to affordable, healthy, and nutritious food. 
9"Food desert" includes a food desert as defined by Economic 
10Research Report Number 140 of the Economic Research Service of 
11the U.S. Department of Agriculture, August 2012.
12    "Task Force" means the Task Force on Eliminating Food 
13Deserts established under this Act. 
14    "Task Force member" means a task force member on the Task 
15Force, as listed in subsection (b) of Section 10 of this Act. 
 
 
 
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1    Section 10. Task Force on Eliminating Food Deserts. 
2    (a) The Task Force on Eliminating Food Deserts is 
3established in the Department of Public Health for the 
4following purposes: 
5        (1) to review the effectiveness of current State-led 
6    efforts to eliminate food deserts in Illinois; and 
7        (2) to advise the General Assembly on policy, funding, 
8    initiatives, and best practices for the elimination of 
9    food deserts in Illinois. 
10    (b) The Task Force shall consist of the following members: 
11        (1) the Director of Public Health or the Director's 
12    designee, who shall serve as chairperson; 
13        (2) the Secretary of Human Services or the Secretary's 
14    designee; 
15        (3) the Director of Aging or the Director's designee; 
16        (4) the Director of Agriculture or the Director's 
17    designee; 
18        (5) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity 
19    or the Director's designee, who shall serve as an ex 
20    officio, nonvoting, advisory member; 
21        (6) one task force member who is a representative of 
22    the University of Illinois Extension, appointed by the 
23    Director of Extension and Outreach in the College of 
24    Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences at the 
25    University of Illinois; 
26        (7) one member of the Senate, appointed by the 
 
 
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1    President of the Senate; 
2        (8) one member of the House of Representatives, 
3    appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; 
4        (9) one member of the Senate, appointed by the Senate 
5    Minority Leader; 
6        (10) one member of the House of Representatives, 
7    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of 
8    Representatives; 
9        (11) one task force member who is a representative of 
10    a county government of a county in Illinois with a 
11    population equal to or greater than 1,000,000 people, 
12    appointed by the Governor; 
13        (12) one task force member who is a representative of 
14    a county government of a county in Illinois with a 
15    population fewer than 1,000,000 people but equal to or 
16    greater than 500,000 people, appointed by the Governor; 
17        (13) one task force member who is a representative of 
18    a county government of a county in Illinois with a 
19    population fewer than 500,000 people, appointed by the 
20    Governor; 
21        (14) one task force member who is involved in 
22    agriculture in Illinois, appointed by the Governor; 
23        (15) one task force member who is a representative of 
24    a food retailer in Illinois, appointed by the Governor; 
25        (16) one task force member who is a representative of 
26    retailers in Illinois, appointed by the Governor; 
 
 
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1        (17) eight task force members who reside in food 
2    deserts in Illinois, appointed by the Governor;
3        (18) four task force members who are representatives 
4    of non-profit organizations in food deserts in Illinois, 
5    appointed by the Governor; and 
6        (19) one task force member who is a representative of 
7    labor organizations, appointed by the Governor.
8    (c) The Task Force shall convene and meet at the call of 
9the chairperson and shall meet as frequently as necessary to 
10carry out its duties as required by this Act. 
11    (d) The Department of Public Health shall provide 
12administrative and other support to the Task Force. 
13    (e) Task force members shall serve without compensation 
14but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary 
15expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. 
16    (f) The Task Force shall submit a report to the Governor 
17and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2028. The 
18substance of the report shall include the number or amount of 
19food deserts in this State, shall address the purposes of the 
20Task Force in subsection (a) of this Section, and shall 
21provide any other advice or recommendations of the Task Force. 
22After submitting the report, the chairperson of the Task Force 
23shall:
24        (1) file with the Index Department of the Office of 
25    the Secretary of State a declaration that the Task Force 
26    on Eliminating Food Deserts shall be dissolved;
 
 
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1        (2) notify the Clerk of the House of Representatives 
2    of the filing described in paragraph (1) on the day that it 
3    occurs;
4        (3) notify the Secretary of the Senate of the filing 
5    described in paragraph (1) on the day that it occurs; and 
6        (4) notify the Executive Director of the Legislative 
7    Reference Bureau of the filing described in paragraph (1) 
8    on the day that it occurs.
9    Upon such filing and notification, this Act is repealed 
10and the Task Force is dissolved as provided in Section 15 of 
11this Act.
 
12    Section 15. Repeal. This Act is repealed and the Task 
13Force on Eliminating Food Deserts is dissolved upon the 
14occurrence of the conditions set forth in subsection (f) of 
15Section 10 of this Act.".