Rep. Sonya M. Harper
Filed: 3/17/2023
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1 | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2557
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2 | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 2557 by replacing | ||||||
3 | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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4 | "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||||
5 | Farmer Equity and Innovation Act. | ||||||
6 | Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: | ||||||
7 | "Limited resource farmer"
means a farmer who has a total | ||||||
8 | household income at or below the national poverty level for a | ||||||
9 | family of 4, or less than 50% of the county median household | ||||||
10 | income in each of the previous 2 years. | ||||||
11 | "Socially disadvantaged farmer" means a farmer who has | ||||||
12 | been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudices because of their | ||||||
13 | identity as a member of a group without regard to their | ||||||
14 | individual qualities. | ||||||
15 | Section 10. Farmer Equity and Innovation Center. |
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1 | (a) Subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and | ||||||
2 | approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, the | ||||||
3 | Farmer Equity and Innovation Center is created at the | ||||||
4 | University of Illinois Extension. | ||||||
5 | (b) The Farmer Equity and Innovation Center shall: | ||||||
6 | (1) ensure the continued economic viability of | ||||||
7 | small-scale and moderate-scale diversified farms by | ||||||
8 | creating a coordinated, statewide program to support the | ||||||
9 | operators of those farms, prioritizing limited resource | ||||||
10 | farmers and socially disadvantaged farmers; | ||||||
11 | (2) establish a Farmer Equity and Innovation Program | ||||||
12 | administered by the Center; | ||||||
13 | (3) utilize the University of Illinois Small Farm | ||||||
14 | Advisors, and require the University to increase its Small | ||||||
15 | Farm Advisor positions to 6 in number; | ||||||
16 | (4) include applied research on specified subjects | ||||||
17 | concerning farming in Illinois, outreach regarding those | ||||||
18 | subjects, and informational services on assistance | ||||||
19 | provided by or through the Center or nonprofit | ||||||
20 | organizations designated by the Center; | ||||||
21 | (5) authorize the Program to include special training | ||||||
22 | for new and beginning farmers, with priority given to | ||||||
23 | socially disadvantaged farmers; and | ||||||
24 | (6) conduct a study to determine and issue an annual | ||||||
25 | report to the Governor and General Assembly containing a | ||||||
26 | demographic breakdown of farmers who participate in the |
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1 | Program.".
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