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1 | AN ACT concerning local farm and food products.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the "Local | ||||||
5 | Food, Farms, and Jobs Act". | ||||||
6 | Section 5. Definitions. | ||||||
7 | (a) "Local farm or food products" are products grown, | ||||||
8 | processed, packaged, and distributed by Illinois citizens or | ||||||
9 | businesses located wholly within the borders of Illinois. | ||||||
10 | Section 10. Procurement goals for local farm or food | ||||||
11 | products. | ||||||
12 | (a) In order to create, strengthen, and expand local farm | ||||||
13 | and food economies throughout Illinois, it shall be the goal of | ||||||
14 | this State that 20% of all food and food products purchased by | ||||||
15 | State agencies and State-owned facilities, including, without | ||||||
16 | limitation, facilities for persons with mental health and | ||||||
17 | developmental disabilities, correctional facilities, and | ||||||
18 | public universities, shall, by 2020, be local farm or food | ||||||
19 | products.
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20 | (b) The Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council established | ||||||
21 | under this Act shall support and encourage that 10% of food and | ||||||
22 | food products purchased by entities funded in part or in whole |
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1 | by State dollars, which spend more than $25,000 per year on | ||||||
2 | food or food products for its students, residents, or clients, | ||||||
3 | including, without limitation, public schools, child care | ||||||
4 | facilities, after-school programs, and hospitals, shall, by | ||||||
5 | 2020, be local farm or food products.
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6 | (c) To meet the goals set forth in this Section, when a | ||||||
7 | State contract for purchase of food or food products is to be | ||||||
8 | awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, an otherwise | ||||||
9 | qualified bidder who will fulfill the contract through the use | ||||||
10 | of local farm or food products may be given preference over | ||||||
11 | other bidders, provided that the cost included in the bid of | ||||||
12 | local farm or food products is not more than 10% greater than | ||||||
13 | the cost included in a bid that is not for local farm or food | ||||||
14 | products.
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15 | (d) All State agencies and State-owned facilities that | ||||||
16 | purchase food and food products shall, with the assistance of | ||||||
17 | the Council, develop a system for (i) identifying the | ||||||
18 | percentage of local farm or food products purchased for fiscal | ||||||
19 | year 2011 as the baseline; and (ii) tracking and reporting | ||||||
20 | local farm or food products purchases on an annual basis.
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21 | Section 15. Creation of the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs | ||||||
22 | Council. | ||||||
23 | (a) By November 1, 2009, the Illinois Department of | ||||||
24 | Agriculture shall establish a not-for-profit corporation, | ||||||
25 | under the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986, that |
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1 | shall be known as the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council | ||||||
2 | ("Local Food Council" or "Council").
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3 | (b) The purpose of the Local Food Council shall be to | ||||||
4 | facilitate the growth of an Illinois-based local farm and food | ||||||
5 | product economy that revitalizes rural and urban communities, | ||||||
6 | promotes healthy eating with access to fresh foods, creates | ||||||
7 | jobs, ensures a readily available supply of safe food in an | ||||||
8 | emergency event, and supports economic growth through making | ||||||
9 | local farm or food products available to all Illinois citizens.
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10 | (c) The Department of Agriculture shall serve as the fiscal | ||||||
11 | agent for the Local Food Council.
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12 | Section 20. Responsibilities of the Illinois Local Food, | ||||||
13 | Farms, and Jobs Council. The responsibilities of the Local Food | ||||||
14 | Council include, but are not limited to, the following: | ||||||
15 | (a) To assist State agencies, State-owned facilities, and | ||||||
16 | other entities with the purchase of local farm or food products | ||||||
17 | and with tracking and reporting of such purchases in order to | ||||||
18 | meet the goals established in Section 10 of this Act.
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19 | (b) To assist local farm and food entrepreneurs to identify | ||||||
20 | and secure necessary resources and equipment to begin, | ||||||
21 | maintain, and expand projects and networks necessary for the | ||||||
22 | development of local farm or food products; provided, however, | ||||||
23 | that it is the intent of this Act that the Local Food Council | ||||||
24 | will facilitate program startups and then relinquish rights, | ||||||
25 | benefits, and control within a reasonably short duration of |
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1 | time.
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2 | (c) To facilitate the building of infrastructure, | ||||||
3 | including aggregation, processing, storage, packaging, and | ||||||
4 | distribution facilities necessary to move local farm or food | ||||||
5 | products to local and other markets.
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6 | (d) To support and expand programs that recruit, train, and | ||||||
7 | provide technical assistance to Illinois farmers and residents | ||||||
8 | in order to encourage the production of local farm or food | ||||||
9 | products.
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10 | (e) To coordinate interagency policies, initiatives, and | ||||||
11 | procedures promoting local farm and food products in Illinois | ||||||
12 | communities, by working with and involving State, federal, and | ||||||
13 | local agencies, as well as community based organizations, | ||||||
14 | educational institutions, and trade organizations in executing | ||||||
15 | the purposes of this Act.
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16 | (f) To facilitate the elimination of legal barriers | ||||||
17 | hindering the development of a local farm and food economy by | ||||||
18 | working with federal, State, and local public health agencies, | ||||||
19 | other agencies and applicable entities, and the Illinois | ||||||
20 | Attorney General to create consistent and compatible | ||||||
21 | regulations for the production, storage, distribution, and | ||||||
22 | marketing of local farm or food products.
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23 | (g) To facilitate the use of public lands for growing local | ||||||
24 | farm or food products by working with governmental entities at | ||||||
25 | the local, State, and federal levels.
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26 | (h) To set annual goals for all purchases of local farm or |
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1 | food products by Illinois residents and to monitor the | ||||||
2 | development and expansion of a local farm and food economy | ||||||
3 | through data collection, tracking, measurement, analysis, and | ||||||
4 | reporting on progress made in an annual report to the Illinois | ||||||
5 | General Assembly.
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6 | (i) To initiate and facilitate public awareness campaigns | ||||||
7 | about the economic benefits of a local farm and food economy.
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8 | Section 25. Governance of the Local Food, Farms, and Jobs | ||||||
9 | Council. | ||||||
10 | (a) The Local Food Council shall be governed by a 35-member | ||||||
11 | board of directors, which shall be comprised of the following:
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12 | (1) one representative each from the Department of | ||||||
13 | Agriculture; the Department of Commerce and Economic | ||||||
14 | Opportunity; the Department of Public Health; the | ||||||
15 | Department of Human Services, Office of Health and | ||||||
16 | Prevention; the Department of Human Services, Office of | ||||||
17 | Security and Emergency Preparedness;
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18 | (2) the Director of the Lieutenant Governor's Rural | ||||||
19 | Affairs Council;
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20 | (3) one agricultural specialist from the University of | ||||||
21 | Illinois Extension;
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22 | (4) four local farm or food product farmers | ||||||
23 | representing different agribusiness sectors, including, | ||||||
24 | but not limited to, the dairy, meat, vegetable, and grain | ||||||
25 | sectors;
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1 | (5) four local farm or food product producers | ||||||
2 | representing different flower, fruit, viticulture, | ||||||
3 | aquaculture, forestry, seeds, fiber, vegetable, | ||||||
4 | ornamental, or other specialty crop sectors;
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5 | (6) two local farm or food product processors;
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6 | (7) two local farm or food product distributors;
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7 | (8) three representatives of not-for-profit | ||||||
8 | educational organizations that specialize in supporting | ||||||
9 | and expanding local farm or food product networks;
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10 | (9) one certifier of specialty local farm or food | ||||||
11 | products, such as an organic, naturally grown, biodynamic, | ||||||
12 | Halal, or Kosher certifier;
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13 | (10) one local farm or food product consumer | ||||||
14 | representative;
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15 | (11) two representatives of farm organizations;
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16 | (12) one representative from a philanthropic | ||||||
17 | organization supporting the development of local farm or | ||||||
18 | food products;
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19 | (13) one local farm or food product retailer;
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20 | (14) two municipal representatives from different | ||||||
21 | communities in the State actively engaged in the | ||||||
22 | development of local farm or food products;
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23 | (15) four representatives from community-based | ||||||
24 | organizations focusing on access to local farm or food | ||||||
25 | products, including at least 3 minority members; and
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26 | (16) one chef specializing in the preparation of |
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1 | locally grown foods.
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2 | (b) The 29 non-state governmental board members shall be | ||||||
3 | appointed by the Governor to 3-year staggered terms as | ||||||
4 | determined by the Governor. Persons may be nominated by | ||||||
5 | organizations representing the sectors outlined in subsection | ||||||
6 | (a) of this Section. Vacancies shall be filled by the Governor.
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7 | (c) The board of directors shall have all the rights, | ||||||
8 | titles, powers, privileges, and obligations provided for in the | ||||||
9 | General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986. It shall elect | ||||||
10 | its presiding officers from among its members and may elect or | ||||||
11 | appoint an executive committee, other committees, and | ||||||
12 | subcommittees to conduct the business of the organization.
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13 | (d) The Local Food Council may solicit grants, loans, | ||||||
14 | contributions, or appropriations from public or private | ||||||
15 | sources and may enter into any contracts, grants, loans, or | ||||||
16 | agreements with respect to the use of such funds to execute the | ||||||
17 | purposes of this Act. No debt or obligation of the Local Food | ||||||
18 | Council shall become the debt or obligation of the State.
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19 | (e) Subject to the availability of public or private funds, | ||||||
20 | the board of directors may employ an executive director, other | ||||||
21 | staff, or independent contractors necessary to execute the | ||||||
22 | purposes of this Act, and it may fix the compensation, | ||||||
23 | benefits, terms, and conditions of those persons' employment.
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24 | (f) The State governmental agencies represented on the | ||||||
25 | board of directors shall re-direct existing staff, as | ||||||
26 | appropriations permit, to assist in executing the purposes of |
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1 | this Act, and they may provide office space, meeting space, and | ||||||
2 | other research and communication services as appropriate.
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3 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
4 | becoming law. |