Bill Text: IL SB0015 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning locally grown and organic food.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-08-15 - Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Re-referred to Assignments; Pursuant to Senate Rule 3-9(b). [SB0015 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2009-SB0015-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning agriculture.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Illinois Food, Farms, and Jobs Act is | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | amended by changing Section 5 as follows:
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6 | (505 ILCS 84/5)
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7 | Sec. 5. Legislative findings. | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | Illinois should be the Midwest leader in local and and | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | organic food and fiber production. | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | One thousand five hundred miles is the average travel | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | distance for food items now consumed in this State, and | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | agricultural products sold directly for human consumption | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | comprise less than 0.2% of Illinois farm sales. | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | Ninety-five percent of organic food sold in this State is | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | grown and processed outside of the State, resulting in food | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | dollars being exported. | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | Illinois ranks fifth in the nation in loss of farmland. | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | The market for locally grown foods and for organic food is | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | expanding rapidly. | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | Consumers would benefit from additional local food outlets | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | that make fresh and affordable Illinois grown foods more | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | accessible in both rural and urban communities. | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | Communities are experiencing significant problems of |
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1 | obesity and nutrition, including lack of daily access to fresh | ||||||
2 | fruits and vegetables. | ||||||
3 | Low-income communities that are currently "food deserts" | ||||||
4 | lacking sufficient markets selling fresh fruits and vegetables | ||||||
5 | would benefit from local food distribution systems. | ||||||
6 | The State's urban communities are showing renewed interest | ||||||
7 | in growing food in urban areas. | ||||||
8 | Rural communities would be revitalized by increasing the | ||||||
9 | number of families in the State that live on small properties | ||||||
10 | and by providing fresh high-value local food. | ||||||
11 | Farmers who wish to transition from conventional | ||||||
12 | agriculture to local and organic food would benefit from | ||||||
13 | training and support to diversify their farming operations. | ||||||
14 | Food consumers, farmers, and entrepreneurs would benefit | ||||||
15 | from an expanded infrastructure for processing, storing, and | ||||||
16 | distributing locally grown foods. | ||||||
17 | The capture of existing food dollars within the State would | ||||||
18 | help to revitalize the State's treasury by creating a broad | ||||||
19 | range of new in-state jobs and business opportunities within | ||||||
20 | both rural and urban communities. | ||||||
21 | For the purposes of this Act and for the retention of the | ||||||
22 | greatest benefit from every food dollar spent in this State, | ||||||
23 | support for local food means capturing in Illinois the greatest | ||||||
24 | portion of food production, processing, storing, and | ||||||
25 | distribution possible.
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26 | (Source: P.A. 95-145, eff. 8-14-07.)
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