HB5235 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 17381 HLH 30806 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB5235

Introduced 2/10/2026, by Rep. Sonya M. Harper

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act
20 ILCS 1305/10-65

Creates the Comprehensive Charitable Food System Coordination Act. Provides that, in administering or appropriating State or State-managed federal grant funds for hunger relief, each State agency must: (1) consult and coordinate with specified actors in the charitable food system; (2) ensure that grant solicitations and funding criteria reflect the interconnected roles of food providers, distributors, producers, facilitators, and data systems; and (3) consider proposals that strengthen coordination, efficiency, resiliency, and equity across the charitable food system. Provides that State agencies are encouraged to establish advisory groups or working groups comprised of actors in the charitable food system. Requires certain reports. Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall make grants from the Hunger Relief Fund to food banks and providers (currently, food banks only). Effective July 1, 2026.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning finance.

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 Comprehensive Charitable Food System Coordination Act.

Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to ensure that State-administered hunger relief programs and grantmaking activities strengthen the entire charitable food system by considering all key actors involved in food access, distribution, and coordination.

Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Actor in the charitable food system" means a person or entity that is included in one or more of the following categories:

(1) food providers, including food banks, food pantries, community-based organizations, non-profit organizations, schools, hospitals, mutual aid organizations, retailers, and meal programs;

(2) food distributors, including last-mile delivery organizations, and food wholesalers;

(3) food producers, including farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and community gardens;

(4) facilitators,including logistics providers, warehousers, storage facilities, aggregators, outreach coordinators, and operational support agencies; and

(5) operators of data systems used for the tracking, measurement, and reporting of food and other edible commodities.

"Charitable food system" means the network of organizations, entities, and systems that procure, transport, distribute, or facilitate access to food or edible commodities, or the products of food or edible commodities, for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

Section 15. State grant coordination requirements.

(a) In administering or appropriating State or State-managed federal grant funds for hunger relief, each State agency must:

(1) consult and coordinate with, to the extent practicable, all of the categories of actors in the charitable food system listed in Section 10;

(2) ensure that grant solicitations and funding criteria reflect the interconnected roles of food providers, distributors, producers, facilitators, and data systems; and

(3) consider proposals that strengthen coordination, efficiency, resiliency, and equity across the charitable food system.

(b) State agencies are encouraged to establish advisory groups or working groups comprised of representatives from the categories of actors in the charitable food system listed in Section 10 to assist in developing funding priorities, performance metrics, and partnership guidelines.

Section 20. Reporting; evaluation. Each State agency administering hunger relief grant funds must submit an annual report to the appropriate State oversight entity describing:

(1) how actors in the charitable food system were engaged in grant planning, allocation, and evaluation;

(2) measurable impacts on food access, food quality, and community resilience; and

(3) barriers or opportunities identified through cross-sector collaboration.

Section 25. Authorization of appropriations. The General Assembly shall provide by law for appropriations in such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

Section 900. The Department of Human Services Act is amended by changing Section 10-65 as follows:

(20 ILCS 1305/10-65)

Sec. 10-65. Hunger Relief Fund; grants.

(a) The Hunger Relief Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. From appropriations to the Department from the Fund, the Department shall make grants to food banks and providers for the purpose of purchasing food and related supplies. In this Section, "food bank" means a public or charitable institution that maintains an established operation involving the provision of food or edible commodities, or the products of food or edible commodities, to food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers, or other food or feeding centers that, as an integral part of their normal activities, provide meals or food to feed needy persons on a regular basis.

(b) Moneys received for the purposes of this Section, including, without limitation, appropriations, gifts, donations, grants, and awards from any public or private entity must be deposited into the Fund. Any interest earned on moneys in the Fund must be deposited into the Fund.

(c) As used in this Section, "provider" means a public or charitable organization that is unaffiliated with a food bank and maintains an operation involving the provision of food or edible commodities that, as an integral part of their normal activities, provide meals or food to feed needy persons on a regular basis.

(Source: P.A. 96-604, eff. 8-24-09; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)

Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.