HB4991 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 20161 BDA 33612 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB4991

Introduced , by Rep. Rita Mayfield

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 205/205-455 new

Amends the Department of Agriculture Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Creates the Farmer-Direct Maternal Nutrition Program to provide grants or contracts to farmers for growing, aggregating, and distributing healthy food to eligible expectant mothers within 75 miles of the farm. Establishes eligibility based on income, participation in SNAP or WIC, or referral by a health care provider or social service agency. Authorizes partnerships with community organizations and health facilities. Requires coordination with other State agencies, outreach, rulemaking, and annual reporting to the General Assembly beginning in 2028. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

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

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. Farmer-Direct Maternal Nutrition Program.

(a) The Department shall adopt rules establishing the Farmer-Direct Maternal Nutrition Program. Subject to appropriation, the Program under this Section shall provide grants or contracts to farmers to grow, aggregate, and distribute healthy food from the farmer's farm to eligible expectant mothers who reside within 75 miles of the farmer's farm. The purposes of the Program under this Section are to improve maternal and fetal health and reduce food insecurity during pregnancy, as well as to support family-owned small and midsize farms and socially disadvantaged farmers in the State. The Department may operate the Program statewide and may phase implementation to prioritize areas with higher rates of food insecurity or adverse maternal health outcomes.

(b) The Department shall adopt rules establishing eligibility for the Program under this Section and, at a minimum, subject to the provisions of subsection (d) and the stated purposes of the Program under this Section, limit eligibility to expectant mothers who are residents of the State and who demonstrate need based on:

(1) the expectant mother's family income is at or below 80% of the area median family income, as reported in the most recent American Community Survey (ACS) published by the United States Bureau of the Census;

(2) the expectant mother participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), or any other need-based public assistance program; or

(3) the expectant mother is referred to the program based on evidence of need by a health care provider or social service agency.

(c) The Department may distribute food through local farmers directly and through partners, including community-based organizations, federally qualified health centers, hospitals, clinics, home-visiting programs, and local health departments.

(d) The Department shall coordinate with the Department of Human Services, the Department of Public Health, and other relevant agencies to avoid duplication and maximize access, and may align eligibility screening with existing maternal and child health programs.

(e) The Department shall conduct outreach to inform expectant mothers and health care providers about the availability of the Program under this Section.

(f) The Department shall adopt rules to implement and administer this Section, including rules establishing allowable costs under grants or contracts under the Program and establishing priorities with respect to farms, farmers, and food that are consistent with the stated purposes of the Program under this Section.

(g) The Department may collect de-identified data on participation and distribution to assess the performance of the Program under this Section. Beginning March 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, the Department shall submit a report to the General Assembly summarizing Program operations during the previous calendar year, including the number of participants served, amounts and types of healthy foods distributed, participating farms, geographic coverage, and outcomes and recommendations.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.