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91_HB2932ham001
LRB9109101MWgcam05
1 AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2932
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend House Bill 2932 by replacing
3 the title with the following:
4 "AN ACT in relation to agriculture."; and
5 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
6 following:
7 "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
8 Farmer Fair Dealings and Disclosure Act.
9 Section 5. Definitions. Unless the context otherwise
10 requires, in this Act:
11 "Department" means the Department of Commerce and
12 Community Affairs.
13 "Fund" means the Family Farm Aid Fund.
14 Section 10. Annual reports; price investigation.
15 (a) Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds
16 that the Department of Agriculture, the Department of
17 Commerce and Community Affairs, and the Illinois Farm
18 Development Authority each have separate programs to assist
19 Illinois farmers. Each program is significant and beneficial
20 to Illinois farmers. The General Assembly also finds that
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1 the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce and
2 Community Affairs, and the Illinois Farm Development
3 Authority need to cooperate and coordinate their existing
4 programs.
5 (b) Reporting requirement. The Department of
6 Agriculture, the Department of Commerce and Community
7 Affairs, and the Illinois Farm Development Authority must
8 file a collective written report setting forth a long-term
9 inter-departmental strategic plan to coordinate services and
10 to help family farmers in Illinois with the General Assembly
11 on or before May 1, 2001. On or before May 1 of each year
12 thereafter, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of
13 Commerce and Community Affairs, and the Illinois Farm
14 Development Authority must file an update of the collective
15 written report with the General Assembly.
16 (c) Price investigation. The Attorney General must
17 investigate and provide a written report to the General
18 Assembly on or before December 31, 2000 regarding the
19 disparity between prices paid to producers and prices charged
20 to the consumer and the effect of those practices on the
21 enforcement and application of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15
22 U.S.C. 1, the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 15, and the Packers and
23 Stockyards Act, 15 U.S.C. 181. The Departments of
24 Agriculture and Commerce and Community Affairs must cooperate
25 with the Attorney General's investigation.
26 Section 15. Family Farm Aid Program.
27 (a) The Department must, subject to appropriation,
28 develop and administer a Family Farm Aid Program for the
29 purposes of (i) accessing new agricultural markets, (ii)
30 providing financial assistance to farmers at risk, (iii)
31 increasing product diversity, and (iv) promoting new product
32 development. Assistance under this Section must be in the
33 form of loans from the Family Farm Aid Fund to eligible
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1 persons.
2 To be eligible for assistance under this Section, a
3 person must (i) be a resident of Illinois, (ii) be the
4 principal operator of a farm of not less than 100 acres and
5 not more than 1,500 acres, (iii) derive at least 50% of his
6 or her annual gross income from farming, and (iv) have a net
7 worth of not less than $10,000. A person may not receive
8 more than one loan from the Department under the Family Farm
9 Aid Program.
10 (b) The Family Farm Aid Fund is created in the State
11 treasury. Moneys in the Fund may, subject to appropriation,
12 be used by the Department for the purpose of making loans
13 under this Section.
14 (c) The Department must adopt any rules necessary to
15 carry out the purposes of this Section.
16 Section 900. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
17 Section 5.541 as follows:
18 (30 ILCS 105/5.541 new)
19 Sec. 5.541. The Family Farm Aid Fund.".