HB4922eng 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4922 Engrossed LRB104 17466 BDA 30892 b

AN ACT concerning agriculture.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 3. Findings. The General Assembly finds that:

(1) Beginning in Fiscal Year 2021, the State of Illinois appropriated funds to support socially disadvantaged farmers, recognizing persistent barriers to land access, capital, infrastructure, and market participation.

(2) A portion of those appropriations has remained unexpended across multiple fiscal years, limiting the intended impact of those funds.

(3) Emerging and socially disadvantaged farmers continue to face systemic and structural barriers that constrain agricultural production, business viability, and participation in local and regional food systems.

(4) Deploying these unexpended funds through a flexible, accessible grant program administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture will strengthen Illinois' agricultural economy, advance equity, and improve food security across urban, suburban, and rural communities.

Section 5. The Department of Agriculture Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 205-455 as follows:

(20 ILCS 205/205-455 new)

Sec. 205-455. Emerging and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Infrastructure and Market Access Grant Program.

(a) In this Section:

"Eligible applicant" means an emerging farmer, a socially disadvantaged farmer, or a farm entity primarily owned, controlled, or governed by one or more emerging or socially disadvantaged farmers and operating or proposing to operate within Illinois.

"Emerging farmer" means a farmer or aspiring farmer who is a member of or represents one or more of the following groups:

(1) women;

(2) veterans;

(3) persons with disabilities;

(4) American Indian or Alaska Native persons;

(5) members of communities of color;

(6) young persons;

(7) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or asexual (LGBTQIA+) persons;

(8) urban farmers; or

(9) any other emerging farmers as determined by the Director to further the purposes of this Section.

"Infrastructure" means facilities, improvements, and systems necessary for agricultural production and market access, including land preparation, on-farm utilities, post-harvest handling, processing, storage, aggregation, and distribution.

"Social disadvantage" means diminished opportunity and disproportionate barriers to entering, operating, sustaining, or expanding a farm business that are reasonably linked to such discrimination and not solely attributable to individual business decisions.

"Socially disadvantaged farmer" means an individual farmer or aspiring farmer who has experienced, or whose farming operation has experienced, social disadvantage as a result of systemic or chronic discrimination or bias in access to land, credit, capital, insurance, technical assistance, education, training, markets, or participation in public or private agricultural programs, on the basis of one or more of the following actual or perceived characteristics: race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, sex, pregnancy or childbirth-related status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, disability, marital or familial status, or immigration or citizenship status.

(b) The Department shall establish and administer the Emerging and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Infrastructure and Market Access Grant Program to provide grants to eligible applicants for the purpose of increasing agricultural production, strengthening farm viability, and expanding access to markets within the State.

(c) This Program is subject to appropriation, which may include appropriations equivalent to the amounts that were appropriated but not expended in Fiscal Years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 for emerging or socially disadvantaged farmers.

(d) Grant funds may be used for, but are not limited to:

(1) capital and infrastructure improvements;

(2) equipment and supply purchases;

(3) operational and working capital expenses; and

(4) market access, aggregation, transportation, and distribution expenses.

(e) The Department shall establish grant award tiers and shall not require matching funds. Priority shall be given to applicants who:

(1) have not previously received State agricultural grants;

(2) operate small-scale or limited-resource farm operations;

(3) demonstrate barriers consistent with the definition of socially disadvantaged farmer; and

(4) propose projects that increase food production, create jobs, or expand access to Illinois-grown products.

(f) The Department shall adopt rules to implement and administer this Section. These rules may allow eligibility verification through self-attestation or other reasonable methods.

(g) The Department shall submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing grant awards, expenditures, and program outcomes.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.