(20 ILCS 2421/15)

Sec. 15. Vending facilities on State property.

(a) In order to ensure that priority is given to blind vendors in the operation of vending facilities on State property as provided in Section 10, the Secretary, directly or by delegation to the Director, and the Committee shall jointly develop rules to ensure the following:

(1) That priority is given to blind persons licensed under this Act or under its predecessor Act (the Blind Persons Operating Vending Facilities Act, 20 ILCS 2420/), including the assignment of vending machine income as provided in this Act.

(2) That one or more vending facilities shall be established on all State property to the extent feasible. Where a larger vending facility is determined by the Director and the Committee to be infeasible, every effort shall be made to place vending machines on the property whenever possible. The Director and the Committee shall take into account the following criteria when determining whether establishment of a vending facility is feasible:

(A) the number of State employees, visitors, and other potential facility customers on the property in a given period;

(B) the size, in square feet, of the area owned, leased, occupied, or otherwise controlled by the State;

(C) the duration the property is expected to be leased or occupied by the State;

(D) whether establishment of a vending facility would adversely affect the interests of the State; and

(E) the likelihood that the vending facility would produce an adequate net income for a blind vendor as determined by the average income of all blind vendors in the State.

(b) Any determination by the Director, or by the State agency controlling the property, that the placement or operation of a vending facility is not feasible, or that the placement or operation would adversely affect the interests of the State shall be in writing and shall be transmitted to the Committee for review and ratification or rejection.

(c) The Secretary, through the Director, subject to the rules developed and adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section and the requirements of federal law and regulations, is authorized to select a location for a vending facility and the type of facility to be provided.

(d) Beginning January 1, 2010, all State agencies that:

(1) undertake to acquire any property, in whole or in part, by ownership, rent, or lease, or that undertake to relocate to any property, shall request a determination from the Director or his or her designee as to whether the new property includes a satisfactory site or sites for the location and operation of a blind vendor vending facility; or

(2) undertake to occupy a building that is to be constructed, substantially altered, or renovated, or in the case of a building that is already occupied by the State agency, undertake to substantially alter or renovate that building for use by the State agency;

shall request a determination from the Director or his or her designee as to whether that building includes a satisfactory site or sites for the location and operation of a blind vendor vending facility.

Upon receiving a request for a determination under this subsection (d), the Director or his or her designee and the Committee shall have 10 days in which to notify that requesting State agency as to whether the new property or building is satisfactory or not satisfactory for the operation of a blind vendor vending facility. A site shall be deemed to be a satisfactory site by examining the potential customer base, including, but not limited to, State employees, State contractual employees, and the general public. The determination shall be based upon a site survey or any other reasonable means enabling an accurate assessment of the location. If the property has an existing private vendor, bottler, or vending machine operator, then the property shall be presumed to be a satisfactory site. If the Director, in consultation with the Committee, determines that the number of people using the location is or will be insufficient to support a vending facility, then the Director shall determine the property to be not satisfactory.

Upon a determination by the Director or his or her designee and the Committee that the new property or building is satisfactory for the operation of a blind vendor vending facility, the Director, in consultation with the head of the State agency and in accordance with the rules developed pursuant to subsection (a), shall inform the agency to comply with the priority established for the operation of vending facilities by blind persons under this Act.

(e) All State agencies shall fully cooperate with the Department to ensure that priority is given to blind vendors in the operation of vending facilities on State property. This includes notifying the Department prior to the expiration of existing contracts or agreements for vending facilities or when such contracts or agreements are considered for renewal options. The notification must be given, when feasible, no later than 6 months prior to the potential expiration or renewal of the existing vending facility contract or agreement.

(Source: P.A. 96-644, eff. 1-1-10.)