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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 Department of Agriculture Law of the Civil | ||||||
| 5 | Administrative
Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section | ||||||
| 6 | 205-360 as follows: | ||||||
| 7 | (20 ILCS 205/205-360 new) | ||||||
| 8 | Sec. 205-360. Access to nutritious food program. | ||||||
| 9 | (a) In this Section: | ||||||
| 10 | "Food desert" means an underserved geographic area where | ||||||
| 11 | fresh and nutritious foods are difficult to obtain, as | ||||||
| 12 | determined by the Department. "Food desert" includes: | ||||||
| 13 | (1) a rural town or urban neighborhood in which: | ||||||
| 14 | (A) at least 25% of the households have incomes | ||||||
| 15 | that are below the federal income poverty level; or | ||||||
| 16 | (B) the median family income of residents is not | ||||||
| 17 | more than 80% of the median family income of Illinois; | ||||||
| 18 | (2) a rural town, urban neighborhood, or metropolitan | ||||||
| 19 | census tract in which at least 500 residents or at least | ||||||
| 20 | 33% of the population resides more than one mile from a | ||||||
| 21 | supermarket or large grocery store; or | ||||||
| 22 | (3) a non-metropolitan census tract in which at least | ||||||
| 23 | 500 residents or at least 33% of the population resides | ||||||
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| 1 | more than 10 miles from a supermarket or large grocery | ||||||
| 2 | store. | ||||||
| 3 | "Program" refers to the access to nutritious food program | ||||||
| 4 | conducted under
this Section. | ||||||
| 5 | (b) The Department shall conduct an access to nutritious | ||||||
| 6 | food program to establish and operate projects and strategies | ||||||
| 7 | within food deserts that focus on: | ||||||
| 8 | (1) distribution of fresh and nutritious food; and | ||||||
| 9 | (2) education in food preparation and nutrition. | ||||||
| 10 | (c) The Department shall promote the sharing of | ||||||
| 11 | information concerning best practices and programs, including | ||||||
| 12 | projects established under this Section, that have proven to | ||||||
| 13 | be effective in improving distribution of fresh and nutritious | ||||||
| 14 | food and education in food preparation and nutrition. | ||||||
| 15 | (d) The Department shall convene an annual meeting of | ||||||
| 16 | nonprofit organizations and other interested parties to share | ||||||
| 17 | best practices and information on programs, including projects | ||||||
| 18 | established under this Section, that have proven to be | ||||||
| 19 | effective in improving distribution of fresh and nutritious | ||||||
| 20 | food and education in food preparation and nutrition.
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