093_SB0076eng SB76 Engrossed LRB093 02027 DRJ 02027 b 1 AN ACT in relation to health and nutrition. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 Nutrition Outreach and Public Education Act. 6 Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly 7 finds a definite correlation between proper health and 8 adequate diet and nutrition and hereby recognizes the 9 importance of federal food and nutrition assistance programs 10 in minimizing the incidence of hunger and nutrition related 11 health problems for those who participate in such programs. 12 The General Assembly also finds that a significant 13 portion of otherwise eligible residents of Illinois do not 14 participate in existing federal food assistance programs such 15 as the food stamp program, school lunch and breakfast 16 programs, child care food programs, summer food programs, the 17 special supplemental program for women, infants and children, 18 congregate meal programs, and home-delivered meal programs. 19 That lack of participation is, in the General Assembly's 20 view, due predominantly to a lack of adequate program 21 information as to eligibility and application procedures, a 22 lack of access to and in many instances availability of 23 benefits under those federal food assistance programs, and 24 the unavailability of federal funding specifically for 25 outreach efforts to expand program coverage and participation 26 among eligible persons. 27 The General Assembly believes that it is in the interest 28 of the public health of the economically vulnerable residents 29 of Illinois to establish a program of community-based 30 nutrition outreach to enroll eligible targeted populations in 31 federal food and nutrition assistance programs designed for SB76 Engrossed -2- LRB093 02027 DRJ 02027 b 1 them and to promote the fuller implementation and utilization 2 of federal food assistance programs in unserved or 3 underserved areas. 4 Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless 5 the context requires otherwise: 6 "At-risk populations" means populations including but not 7 limited to families with children receiving aid under Article 8 IV of the Illinois Public Aid Code, households receiving 9 federal supplemental security income payments, households 10 with incomes at or below 185% of the poverty guidelines 11 updated annually in the Federal Register by the U.S. 12 Department of Health and Human Services under authority of 13 Section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 14 1981, recipients of emergency food, elderly or disabled 15 persons, homeless persons, unemployed persons, and families 16 and persons residing in rural households who are at risk of 17 nutritional deficiencies. 18 "Director" means the Director of Human Services. 19 "Food assistance programs" means programs including but 20 not limited to the food stamp program, school breakfast and 21 lunch programs, child care food programs, summer food service 22 programs, the special supplemental programs for women, 23 infants and children, congregate meal programs, and 24 home-delivered meal programs. 25 "High-risk area" means any county or urban area where a 26 significant percentage or number of those potentially 27 eligible for food assistance programs are not participating 28 in such programs. 29 Section 15. Program established. The Department of 30 Human Services shall establish a nutrition outreach and 31 public education program, to be administered by that 32 Department in cooperation with the Department on Aging, the SB76 Engrossed -3- LRB093 02027 DRJ 02027 b 1 Departments of Children and Family Services, Commerce and 2 Community Affairs, Employment Security, Labor, Public Health, 3 Public Aid, and Veterans' Affairs, and the State 4 Superintendent of Education. The program shall be 5 established to ensure maximum participation by eligible 6 persons in federal and State food assistance programs. The 7 program shall be structured so as to increase participation 8 statewide but with particular attention to high-risk areas 9 with a focus on certain at-risk populations. 10 Section 20. Program features. Directly or through 11 contract, the Director shall administer a program of 12 nutrition outreach that shall include but shall not be 13 limited to the following features: 14 (1) Statewide coordination. 15 (2) Coordination of efforts among State and local 16 agencies, including but not limited to the Departments of 17 Public Aid and Public Health, the Department on Aging, 18 the State Superintendent of Education, and community 19 agencies involved in food assistance programs. 20 (3) Compilation of statistical data from State and 21 local agencies and dissemination to community 22 organizations. 23 (4) Provision of information as to the availability 24 of, eligibility criteria for, and application procedures 25 for food assistance programs. 26 (5) Nutrition education. 27 Section 25. Grants to community organizations. The 28 Director shall make grants from moneys appropriated for that 29 purpose to community-based organizations or consortia of 30 community-based organizations in high-risk areas for outreach 31 activities. The outreach activities shall include but shall 32 not be limited to the following: SB76 Engrossed -4- LRB093 02027 DRJ 02027 b 1 (1) Identifying barriers to participation in food 2 assistance programs, including the unavailability of such 3 programs. 4 (2) Identifying at-risk populations and individuals 5 within the at-risk populations who are not participating. 6 (3) Disseminating information to and conducting 7 training sessions for local groups. 8 (4) Disseminating information as to program 9 availability, individual or household eligibility, and 10 application procedures. 11 (5) Providing nutrition education for at-risk 12 populations. 13 (6) Assisting families and individuals in meeting 14 eligibility requirements, including verification and 15 enrollment. 16 Section 30. Criteria for high-risk areas. In 17 determining whether a particular geographic area is a 18 high-risk area and eligible for a grant, the Director may 19 consider factors including but not limited to the following: 20 (1) Whether 50% or more of those potentially 21 eligible are not participating in the food stamp program, 22 or whether a significant number of the potentially 23 eligible population, particularly the working poor and 24 the elderly, are not participating. 25 (2) Whether 25% or more of the children are 26 eligible for free or reduced-price meals in the school 27 lunch program. 28 (3) Infant mortality or morbidity rates. 29 (4) Economic indicators including but not limited 30 to the unemployment rate, prevailing wages, and recent 31 loss of job base. 32 (5) A high concentration of at-risk populations. 33 (6) The unavailability of food assistance programs SB76 Engrossed -5- LRB093 02027 DRJ 02027 b 1 in the area because of lack of provider participation or 2 lack of knowledge about the existence of such programs. 3 Section 35. Reports. The Director shall report on or 4 before January 1 of each year to the Governor and the General 5 Assembly concerning the implementation of this Act. The 6 report shall include information as to community 7 organizations funded through grants, the effects of the 8 nutrition outreach and public education program on 9 participation in food assistance programs, and 10 recommendations regarding expansion of the nutrition outreach 11 and public education program.