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Public Act 096-1119 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning hunger.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||
Commission to End Hunger Act. | ||||
Section 5. Legislative findings. It is the goal of the | ||||
State of Illinois that no man, woman, or child should ever be | ||||
faced with hunger. | ||||
Despite being one of the wealthiest nations and the largest | ||||
agricultural producer in the world, the United States is a | ||||
country with pervasive hunger and Illinois is not exempt from | ||||
this reality. In Illinois, hunger is less a story of starvation | ||||
and more one of hunger and access, of individuals and families | ||||
simply not having access to enough healthful, nutritious food. | ||||
The number of families facing food emergencies is growing. | ||||
Requests for emergency food assistance grew by an estimated 30 | ||||
percent nationally in 2009 alone. | ||||
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which | ||||
defines food security as "access by all people at all times to | ||||
enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life," also | ||||
estimates that between 2006 and 2008, 11.1 percent of Illinois | ||||
households experienced food insecurity. Nearly 1/3 of those | ||||
households were considered very food insecure. It is important |
to note that the USDA numbers only reflect what was taking | ||
place between 2006 and 2008. Since then, the economy has | ||
significantly weakened, and there are likely many more people | ||
struggling with hunger than what the USDA report states. | ||
When examining hunger in the region, participation levels | ||
in existing nutrition programs are an indicator of the level of | ||
need in the community. However, many nutrition programs are | ||
underutilized by the families and individuals that need them, | ||
so while examining program participation data, it is important | ||
to keep in mind that this likely underrepresents the true need | ||
in the community. It is estimated that only 79 percent of | ||
Illinoisans eligible for SNAP benefits were enrolled as of | ||
2006. | ||
The School Breakfast Program (School Breakfast) and the | ||
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), two child-focused | ||
programs, are also underutilized. Illinois currently ranks | ||
51st amongst all states and the District of Columbia in | ||
enrollment for free and reduced priced school breakfasts. | ||
Illinois earned this bottom ranking because less than 33% of | ||
eligible children (those who receive free and reduced lunch) | ||
are also accessing School Breakfast. According to a report | ||
released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), | ||
increasing School Breakfast participation in Illinois to just | ||
60% would yield an additional $42,655,714 in federal funds and | ||
would result in 189,668 more children receiving breakfast | ||
everyday. Likewise, increasing the participation rate in the |
SFSP to just 40% would result in Illinois receiving over $9.2 | ||
million in additional federal funds and in thousands of | ||
children continuing to have access to breakfast or lunch, or | ||
both, during the summer months. | ||
Opportunities exist in several areas to eliminate barriers | ||
preventing individuals from accessing quality, nutritious food | ||
and achieving food security. Promoting health and wellness | ||
through nutrition education, coordination of services, and | ||
access to nutrition programs is one such opportunity that can | ||
help Illinois residents achieve food security. Establishing a | ||
statewide Commission to End Hunger will guarantee | ||
cross-collaboration among government entities and community | ||
partners and is essential to eliminating these barriers and | ||
ensuring that no man, woman, or child in Illinois should ever | ||
be faced with hunger. | ||
Section 10. Creation of the Commission to End Hunger. | ||
(a) The General Assembly authorizes the Department of Human | ||
Services to create the Commission to End Hunger. | ||
(b) The purpose of the Commission to End Hunger shall be to | ||
develop an action plan every 2 years, review the progress of | ||
this plan, and ensure cross-collaboration among government | ||
entities and community partners toward the goal of ending | ||
hunger in Illinois.
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(c) Key duties of the Commission shall include the | ||
following: |
(1) Identify all funding sources which can be used | ||
toward improving nutrition and ending hunger, for which the | ||
State has administrative control, and develop | ||
recommendations for future funding. | ||
(2) Identify barriers to access and develop | ||
sustainable policies and programs to address those | ||
barriers. | ||
(3) Promote and facilitate public-private | ||
partnerships. | ||
(4) Develop benchmarks and set goals to indicate | ||
success. | ||
(5) Report to the Governor and the General Assembly on | ||
progress.
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Section 15. Members. The Commission to End Hunger shall be | ||
composed of no more than 21 voting members including 2 members | ||
of the Illinois House of Representatives, one appointed by the | ||
Speaker of the House and one appointed by the House Minority | ||
Leader; 2 members of the Illinois Senate, one appointed by the | ||
Senate President and one appointed by the Senate Minority | ||
Leader; one representative of the Office of the Governor | ||
appointed by the Governor; one representative of the Office of | ||
the Lieutenant Governor appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; | ||
and 15 public members, who shall be appointed by the Governor.
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The public members shall include 2 representatives of food | ||
banks; 2 representatives from other community food assistance |
programs; a representative of a statewide organization focused | ||
on responding to hunger; a representative from an anti-poverty | ||
organization; a representative of an organization that serves | ||
or advocates for children and youth; a representative of an | ||
organization that serves or advocates for older adults; a | ||
representative of an organization that advocates for people who | ||
are homeless; a representative of an organization that serves | ||
or advocates for persons with disabilities; a representative of | ||
an organization that advocates for immigrants; a | ||
representative of a municipal or county government; a | ||
representative of a township government; and 2 at-large | ||
members. The appointed members shall reflect the racial, | ||
gender, and geographic diversity of the State and shall include | ||
representation from regions of the State. | ||
The following officials shall serve as ex-officio members: | ||
the Secretary of Human Services or his or her designee; the | ||
State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee; the | ||
Director of Healthcare and Family Services or his or her | ||
designee; the Director of Children and Family Services or his | ||
or her designee; the Director of Aging or his or her designee; | ||
and the Director of Agriculture or his or her designee. The | ||
African-American Family Commission and the Latino Family | ||
Commission shall each designate a liaison to serve ex-officio | ||
on the Commission.
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Members shall serve without compensation and are | ||
responsible for the cost of all reasonable and necessary travel |
expenses connected to Commission business, as the State of | ||
Illinois will not reimburse Commission members for these costs.
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Commission members shall be appointed within 60 days after | ||
the effective date of this Act. The Commission shall hold their | ||
initial meetings within 60 days after at least 50% of the | ||
members have been appointed.
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The representative of the Office of the Governor and a | ||
representative of a food bank shall serve as co-chairs of the | ||
Commission.
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At the first meeting of the Commission, the members shall | ||
select a 5-person Steering Committee that includes the | ||
co-chairs.
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The Commission may establish committees that address | ||
specific issues or populations and may appoint individuals with | ||
relevant expertise who are not appointed members of the | ||
Commission to serve on committees as needed. | ||
The Office of the Governor, or a designee of the Governor's | ||
choosing, shall provide guidance to the Commission. Under the | ||
leadership of the Office of the Governor, subject to | ||
appropriation, the Department of Human Services shall also | ||
provide leadership to support the Commission. The Department of | ||
Human Services and the State of Illinois shall not incur any | ||
costs as a result of the creation of the Commission to End | ||
Hunger as the coordination of meetings, report preparation, and | ||
other related duties will be completed by a representative of a | ||
food bank that is serving as a co-chair of the Commission. |
Section 20. Meetings and reports. The full Commission shall | ||
meet at least twice annually. The Steering Committee shall meet | ||
at least quarterly. | ||
The Commission shall issue an interim report on its | ||
activities and recommendations to the constitutional officers | ||
and to the General Assembly no later than 12 months from the | ||
date of the first Commission meeting. | ||
A work plan shall be adopted by the Commission not later | ||
than 12 months from the date of the first Commission meeting | ||
and sent to the constitutional officers and to the General | ||
Assembly. Following the adoption of the initial work plan, the | ||
Commission shall continue to meet and issue annual reports | ||
regarding progress on the goal of ending hunger in Illinois and | ||
on the implementation of the work plan.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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