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HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Farmers' markets provide not only a valuable
3marketplace for farmers to sell their products directly to
4consumers, but also a place for consumers to access fresh
5fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products; and
 
6    WHEREAS, These markets successfully operate across
7Illinois; however, there is a lack of comprehensive regulation
8from one county to the next, resulting in discrepancies between
9counties regarding the products that may be sold; and
 
10    WHEREAS, In 1999, the Department of Public Health published
11"Technical Information Bulletin/Food #30," in order to outline
12the sanitation guidelines required for farmers' markets,
13producer markets, and other outdoor food sales events; and
 
14    WHEREAS, This bulletin has not been uniformly interpreted
15across the State; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18there is created the Task Force on Farmers' Markets, consisting
19of 14 members appointed as follows: the President of the
20Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the
21House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the House

 

 

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1of Representatives shall each appoint one member; the Director
2of Public Health or his or her designee, the Director of
3Agriculture or his or her designee, a representative of a
4general agricultural production association appointed by the
5Department of Agriculture, 3 representatives of local county
6public health departments appointed by the Director of Public
7Health and selected from 3 different counties representing each
8of the northern, central, and southern portions of Illinois,
9and 4 members of the general public who are engaged in local
10farmers' markets appointed by the Director of Agriculture; and
11be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That the Director of Public Health shall serve as
13the chair; the Task Force shall meet at the call of the Chair;
14and the members of the Task Force shall serve without
15compensation; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That the Task Force can appoint members as it
17sees fit to serve as representatives of local farmers' markets
18or other concerned parties; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That the duty of the Task Force is to undertake a
20comprehensive and thorough review of the current
21implementation of the various Acts that define which products
22and practices are permitted and which products and practices
23are not permitted at farmers' markets and other outdoor food

 

 

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1sale events; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall assist the Department
3of Public Health in developing interagency agreements and
4programs and procedures regarding the implementation of the
5various Acts that define which products and practices are
6permitted and which products and practices are not permitted at
7farmers' markets and other outdoor food sale events; and be it
8further
 
9    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Public Health
10shall provide staffing support to the Task Force and shall
11administer and prepare all reports deemed necessary in
12conjunction with the Task Force; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That the Task Force may request assistance from
14any entity necessary or useful for the performance of its
15duties; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall issue a report with its
17recommendations to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of
18the House on or before December 31, 2012.