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91_HB2932eng HB2932 Engrossed LRB9109101EGfg 1 AN ACT in relation to agriculture. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 Farmer Fair Dealings and Disclosure Act. 6 Section 5. Definitions. Unless the context otherwise 7 requires, in this Act: 8 "Department" means the Department of Commerce and 9 Community Affairs. 10 "Fund" means the Family Farm Aid Fund. 11 Section 10. Annual reports; price investigation. 12 (a) Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds 13 that the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 14 Commerce and Community Affairs, and the Illinois Farm 15 Development Authority each have separate programs to assist 16 Illinois farmers. Each program is significant and beneficial 17 to Illinois farmers. The General Assembly also finds that 18 the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce and 19 Community Affairs, and the Illinois Farm Development 20 Authority need to cooperate and coordinate their existing 21 programs. 22 (b) Reporting requirement. The Department of 23 Agriculture, the Department of Commerce and Community 24 Affairs, and the Illinois Farm Development Authority must 25 file a collective written report setting forth a long-term 26 inter-departmental strategic plan to coordinate services and 27 to help family farmers in Illinois with the General Assembly 28 on or before May 1, 2001. On or before May 1 of each year 29 thereafter, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 30 Commerce and Community Affairs, and the Illinois Farm HB2932 Engrossed -2- LRB9109101EGfg 1 Development Authority must file an update of the collective 2 written report with the General Assembly. 3 (c) Price investigation. The Attorney General must 4 investigate and provide a written report to the General 5 Assembly on or before December 31, 2000 regarding the 6 disparity between prices paid to producers and prices charged 7 to the consumer and the effect of those practices on the 8 enforcement and application of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 9 U.S.C. 1, the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 15, and the Packers and 10 Stockyards Act, 15 U.S.C. 181. The Departments of 11 Agriculture and Commerce and Community Affairs must cooperate 12 with the Attorney General's investigation. 13 Section 15. Family Farm Aid Program. 14 (a) The Department must, subject to appropriation, 15 develop and administer a Family Farm Aid Program for the 16 purposes of (i) accessing new agricultural markets, (ii) 17 providing financial assistance to farmers at risk, (iii) 18 increasing product diversity, and (iv) promoting new product 19 development. Assistance under this Section must be in the 20 form of loans from the Family Farm Aid Fund to eligible 21 persons. 22 To be eligible for assistance under this Section, a 23 person must (i) be a resident of Illinois, (ii) be the 24 principal operator of a farm of not less than 100 acres and 25 not more than 1,500 acres, (iii) derive at least 50% of his 26 or her annual gross income from farming, and (iv) have a net 27 worth of not less than $10,000. A person may not receive 28 more than one loan from the Department under the Family Farm 29 Aid Program. 30 (b) The Family Farm Aid Fund is created in the State 31 treasury. Moneys in the Fund may, subject to appropriation, 32 be used by the Department for the purpose of making loans 33 under this Section. HB2932 Engrossed -3- LRB9109101EGfg 1 (c) The Department must adopt any rules necessary to 2 carry out the purposes of this Section. 3 Section 900. The State Finance Act is amended by adding 4 Section 5.541 as follows: 5 (30 ILCS 105/5.541 new) 6 Sec. 5.541. The Family Farm Aid Fund.