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1    AN ACT concerning public health.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act is
5amended by adding Section 3.3 as follows:
 
6    (410 ILCS 625/3.3 new)
7    Sec. 3.3. Farmers' markets.
8    (a) The General Assembly finds as follows:
9        (1) Farmers' markets, as defined in subsection (b) of
10    this Section, provide not only a valuable marketplace for
11    farmers and food artisans to sell their products directly
12    to consumers, but also a place for consumers to access
13    fresh fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products.
14        (2) Farmers' markets serve as a stimulator for local
15    economies and for thousands of new businesses every year,
16    allowing farmers to sell directly to consumers and capture
17    the full retail value of their products. They have become
18    important community institutions and have figured in the
19    revitalization of downtown districts and rural
20    communities.
21        (3) Since 1999, the number of farmers' markets has
22    tripled and new ones are being established every year.
23    There is a lack of consistent regulation from one county to

 

 

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1    the next, resulting in confusion and discrepancies between
2    counties regarding how products may be sold.
3        (4) In 1999, the Department of Public Health published
4    Technical Information Bulletin/Food #30 in order to
5    outline the food handling and sanitation guidelines
6    required for farmers' markets, producer markets, and other
7    outdoor food sales events.
8        (5) While this bulletin was revised in 2010, there
9    continues to be inconsistencies, confusion, and lack of
10    awareness by consumers, farmers, markets, and local health
11    authorities of required guidelines affecting farmers'
12    markets from county to county.
13    (b) For the purposes of this Section:
14    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
15    "Director" means the Director of Public Health.
16    "Farmers' market" means a common facility or area where
17farmers gather to sell a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
18and other locally produced farm and food products directly to
19consumers. Local food artisans may participate at farmers'
20markets.
21    (c) In order to facilitate the orderly and uniform
22statewide interpretation of the Department of Public Health's
23Technical Information Bulletin/Food #30, the Farmers' Market
24Task Force shall be formed by the Director to assist the
25Department in implementing statewide administrative
26regulations for farmers' markets.

 

 

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1    (d) This Act does not intend and shall not be construed to
2limit the power of counties, municipalities, and other local
3government units to regulate farmers' markets for the
4protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare,
5including, but not limited to, licensing requirements and time,
6place, and manner restrictions. This Act provides for a
7statewide scheme for the orderly and consistent interpretation
8of the Department of Public Health administrative rules
9pertaining to the safety of food and food products sold at
10farmers' markets.
11    (e) The Farmers' Market Task Force shall consist of at
12least 23 members appointed within 60 days after the effective
13date of this Section. Task Force members shall consist of:
14        (1) one person appointed by the President of the
15    Senate;
16        (2) one person appointed by the Minority Leader of the
17    Senate;
18        (3) one person appointed by the Speaker of the House of
19    Representatives;
20        (4) one person appointed by the Minority Leader of the
21    House of Representatives;
22        (5) the Director of Public Health or his or her
23    designee;
24        (6) the Director of Agriculture or his or her designee;
25        (7) a representative of a general agricultural
26    production association appointed by the Department of

 

 

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1    Agriculture;
2        (8) three representatives of local county public
3    health departments appointed by the Director and selected
4    from 3 different counties representing each of the
5    northern, central, and southern portions of this State;
6        (9) four members of the general public who are engaged
7    in local farmers' markets appointed by the Director of
8    Agriculture;
9        (10) a representative of the Illinois Association of
10    Public Health Administrators;
11        (11) a representative from the Northern Illinois
12    Public Health Consortium;
13        (12) a representative of the Illinois Public Health
14    Association;
15        (13) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
16    or his or her designee; and
17        (14) five local food farmers selected by the Illinois
18    Farmers Market Network.
19    Task Force members' terms shall be for a period of 2 years,
20with ongoing appointments made according to the provisions of
21this Section.
22    (f) The Task Force shall be convened by the Director or his
23or her designee. Members shall elect a Task Force Chair and
24Co-Chair.
25    (g) Meetings may be held via conference call, in person, or
26both. Three members of the Task Force may call a meeting as

 

 

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1long as a 5-working-day notification is sent via mail, e-mail,
2or telephone call to each member of the Task Force.
3    (h) Members of the Task Force shall serve without
4compensation.
5    (i) The Task Force shall undertake a comprehensive and
6thorough review of the current Statutes and administrative
7rules that define which products and practices are permitted
8and which products and practices are not permitted at farmers'
9markets and to assist the Department in developing statewide
10administrative regulations for farmers' markets.
11    (j) The Task Force shall assist the Department of Public
12Health and the Department of Agriculture in developing
13administrative regulations and procedures regarding the
14implementation of the various Acts that define which products
15and practices are permitted and which products and practices
16are not permitted at farmers' markets.
17    (k) The Department of Public Health shall provide staffing
18support to the Task Force and shall help to prepare, print, and
19distribute all reports deemed necessary by the Task Force.
20    (l) The Task Force may request assistance from any entity
21necessary or useful for the performance of its duties. The Task
22Force shall issue a report annually to the Secretary of the
23Senate and the Clerk of the House.
24    (m) The following provisions shall apply concerning
25statewide farmers' market food safety guidelines:
26        (1) The Director, in accordance with this Section,

 

 

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1    shall adopt administrative rules (as provided by the
2    Illinois Administrative Procedure Act) for foods found at
3    farmers' markets.
4        (2) The rules and regulations described in this Act
5    shall be consistently enforced by local health authorities
6    throughout the State.
7        (3) In the case of alleged non-compliance with the
8    provisions described in this Act, local health departments
9    shall issue written notices to vendors and market managers
10    of any noncompliance issues.
11        (4) Produce and food products coming within the scope
12    of the provisions of this Act shall include, but not be
13    limited to, raw agricultural products, including fresh
14    fruits and vegetables; popcorn, grains, seeds, beans, and
15    nuts that are whole, unprocessed, unpackaged, and
16    unsprouted; fresh herb springs and dried herbs in bunches;
17    baked goods sold at farmers' markets; cut fruits and
18    vegetables; milk and cheese products; ice cream; syrups;
19    wild and cultivated mushrooms; apple cider and other fruit
20    and vegetable juices; herb vinegar; garlic-in-oil;
21    flavored oils; pickles, relishes, salsas, and other canned
22    or jarred items; shell eggs; meat and poultry; fish; and
23    commercially produced prepackaged food products.
24    (n) Local health department regulatory guidelines may be
25applied to foods not often found at farmers' markets, all other
26food products not regulated by the Department of Agriculture

 

 

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1and the Department of Public Health, as well as live animals to
2be sold at farmers' markets.
3    (o) The Task Force shall issue annual reports to the
4Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House with
5recommendations for the development of administrative rules as
6specified. The first report shall be issued no later than
7December 31, 2012.
8    (p) The Department of Public Health and the Department of
9Agriculture, in conjunction with the Task Force, shall adopt
10administrative rules necessary to implement, interpret, and
11make specific the provisions of this Act, including, but not
12limited to, rules concerning labels, sanitation, and food
13product safety according to the realms of their jurisdiction.
 
14    Section 10. The Sanitary Food Preparation Act is amended by
15changing Section 11 as follows:
 
16    (410 ILCS 650/11)  (from Ch. 56 1/2, par. 77)
17    Sec. 11. Except as hereinafter provided and as provided in
18Section 3.3 of the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act,
19the Department of Public Health shall enforce this Act, and for
20that purpose it may at all times enter every such building,
21room, basement, inclosure or premises occupied or used or
22suspected of being occupied or used for the production,
23preparation or manufacture for sale, or the storage, sale,
24distribution or transportation of such food, to inspect the

 

 

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1premises and all utensils, fixtures, furniture and machinery
2used as aforesaid; and if upon inspection any such food
3producing or distribution establishment, conveyance, or
4employer, employee, clerk, driver or other person is found to
5be violating any of the provisions of this Act, or if the
6production, preparation, manufacture, packing, storage, sale,
7distribution or transportation of such food is being conducted
8in a manner detrimental to the health of the employees and
9operatives, or to the character or quality of the food therein
10being produced, manufactured, packed, stored, sold,
11distributed or conveyed, the officer or inspector making the
12inspection or examination shall report such conditions and
13violations to the Department. The Department of Agriculture
14shall have exclusive jurisdiction for the enforcement of this
15Act insofar as it relates to establishments defined by Section
162.5 of "The Meat and Poultry Inspection Act", approved July 22,
171959, as heretofore or hereafter amended. The Department of
18Agriculture or Department of Public Health, as the case may be,
19shall thereupon issue a written order to the person, firm or
20corporation responsible for the violation or condition
21aforesaid to abate such condition or violation or to make such
22changes or improvements as may be necessary to abate them,
23within such reasonable time as may be required. Notice of the
24order may be served by delivering a copy thereof to the person,
25firm or corporation, or by sending a copy thereof by registered
26mail, and the receipt thereof through the post office shall be

 

 

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1prima facie evidence that notice of the order has been
2received. Such person, firm or corporation may appear in person
3or by attorney before the Department of Agriculture or the
4Department of Public Health, as the case may be, within the
5time limited in the order, and shall be given an opportunity to
6be heard and to show why such order or instructions should not
7be obeyed. The hearing shall be under such rules and
8regulations as may be prescribed by the Department of
9Agriculture or the Department of Public Health, as the case may
10be. If after such hearing it appears that this Act has not been
11violated, the order shall be rescinded. If it appears that this
12Act is being violated, and that the person, firm or corporation
13notified is responsible therefor, the previous order shall be
14confirmed or amended, as the facts shall warrant, and shall
15thereupon be final, but such additional time as is necessary
16may be granted within which to comply with the final order. If
17such person, firm or corporation is not present or represented
18when such final order is made, notice thereof shall be given as
19above provided. On failure of the party or parties to comply
20with the first order of the Department of Agriculture or the
21Department of Public Health, as the case may be, within the
22time prescribed, when no hearing is demanded, or upon failure
23to comply with the final order within the time specified, the
24Department shall certify the facts to the State's Attorney of
25the county in which such violation occurred, and such State's
26Attorney shall proceed against the party or parties for the

 

 

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1fines and penalties provided by this Act, and also for the
2abatement of the nuisance: Provided, that the proceedings
3herein prescribed for the abatement of nuisances as defined in
4this Act shall not in any manner relieve the violator from
5prosecution in the first instance for every such violation, nor
6from the penalties for such violation prescribed by Section 13.
7(Source: P.A. 81-1509.)
 
8    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9becoming law.