103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB0167

 

Introduced 1/31/2023, by Sen. Ram Villivalam

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/10-20.85 new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.82 new
410 ILCS 637/25 new
410 ILCS 645/1.5 new
410 ILCS 645/2  from Ch. 56 1/2, par. 288.2

    Amends the School Code. Requires each school board to provide for a program by which both halal and kosher food options are offered in public school cafeterias by request. Provides further requirements concerning the provision of halal and kosher food in public schools. Amends the Halal Food Act. Defines "State-owned or State-operated facility". Provides that any State-owned or State-operated facility that provides food services or cafeteria services for which food products are provided or offered for sale also shall offer, upon request provided with reasonable notice, halal food options at the State-owned or State-operated facility. Provides that any halal food product offered shall be certified as halal by a State-approved organization or purchased from a State-approved halal-certified vendor. Provides that any person, organization, or vendor falsely representing a food product it provides as halal or falsely representing itself as a halal-certified vendor shall be subject to penalties under the Act. Provides for the adoption of rules. Provides that the amendatory provisions shall not infringe upon or affect any obligation in a contract entered into and in effect on or before the amendatory Act's effective date. Amends the Kosher Food Act. Makes substantially similar changes as to kosher food options at State facilities, defines "kosher", and provides that a violation of the provisions concerning State facility kosher food services is a Class C misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class A misdemeanor for the second and each subsequent offense. Effective June 1, 2024.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB0167LRB103 05208 CPF 50224 b

1    AN ACT concerning health.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
510-20.85 and 34-18.82 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.85 new)
7    Sec. 10-20.85. Halal and kosher food services.
8    (a) Each school board shall provide for a program by which
9both halal and kosher food options that comply with federal
10and State nutritional guidelines are offered in public school
11cafeterias by request. Any halal or kosher food product
12offered under this Section shall be certified as halal or
13kosher by a State-approved organization or purchased from a
14State-approved halal-certified or kosher-certified vendor. Any
15person, organization, or vendor falsely representing a food
16product it provides as halal or falsely representing itself as
17a halal-certified vendor shall be subject to penalty under the
18Halal Food Act. Any person, organization, or vendor falsely
19representing a food product it provides as kosher or falsely
20representing itself as a kosher-certified vendor shall be
21subject to penalty under the Kosher Food Act. As used in this
22Section, "halal" has the same meaning as provided under
23Section 5 of the Halal Food Act. As used in this Section,

 

 

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1"kosher" means supervised, prepared under, and maintained in
2strict compliance with the laws and customs of the Jewish
3religion, including, but not limited to, (i) the laws and
4customs of shechita requiring the slaughter of animals
5according to appropriate Jewish law and (ii) as expressed by
6reliable, recognized Orthodox Jewish entities and Orthodox
7Jewish rabbis.
8    (b) The provisions of this Section shall not infringe upon
9or affect any obligation in a contract entered into and in
10effect on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act
11of the 103rd General Assembly.
 
12    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.82 new)
13    Sec. 34-18.82. Halal and kosher food services.
14    (a) The board shall provide for a program by which both
15halal and kosher food options that comply with federal and
16State nutritional guidelines are offered in school cafeterias
17by request. Any halal or kosher food product offered under
18this Section shall be certified as halal or kosher by a
19State-approved organization or purchased from a State-approved
20halal-certified or kosher-certified vendor. Any person,
21organization, or vendor falsely representing a food product it
22provides as halal or falsely representing itself as a
23halal-certified vendor shall be subject to penalty under the
24Halal Food Act. Any person, organization, or vendor falsely
25representing a food product it provides as kosher or falsely

 

 

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1representing itself as a kosher-certified vendor shall be
2subject to penalty under the Kosher Food Act. As used in this
3Section, "halal" has the same meaning as provided under
4Section 5 of the Halal Food Act. As used in this Section,
5"kosher" means supervised, prepared under, and maintained in
6strict compliance with the laws and customs of the Jewish
7religion, including, but not limited to, (i) the laws and
8customs of shechita requiring the slaughter of animals
9according to appropriate Jewish law and (ii) as expressed by
10reliable, recognized Orthodox Jewish entities and Orthodox
11Jewish rabbis.
12    (b) The provisions of this Section shall not infringe upon
13or affect any obligation in a contract entered into and in
14effect on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act
15of the 103rd General Assembly.
 
16    Section 15. The Halal Food Act is amended by adding
17Section 25 as follows:
 
18    (410 ILCS 637/25 new)
19    Sec. 25. State facility halal food services.
20    (a) In this Section, "State-owned or State-operated
21facility" means either of the following:
22        (1) A hospital that is organized under the University
23    of Illinois Hospital Act.
24        (2) A penal institution, as that term is defined under

 

 

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1    Section 2-14 of the Criminal Code of 2012, that is owned or
2    operated by the State.
3    (b) Any State-owned or State-operated facility that
4provides food services or cafeteria services for which food
5products are provided or offered for sale also shall offer,
6upon request provided with reasonable notice, halal food
7options that comply with federal and State nutritional
8guidelines at the State-owned or State-operated facility.
9    (c) Any halal food product offered under this Section
10shall be certified as halal by a State-approved organization
11or purchased from a State-approved halal-certified vendor. Any
12person, organization, or vendor falsely representing a food
13product it provides as halal or falsely representing itself as
14a halal-certified vendor shall be subject to penalties under
15Section 10 or 15 of this Act.
16    (d) The Department of Central Management Services and all
17other relevant State agencies shall adopt all rules necessary
18for the implementation of this Section.
19    (e) The provisions of this Section shall not infringe upon
20or affect any obligation in a contract entered into and in
21effect on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act
22of the 103rd General Assembly.
 
23    Section 20. The Kosher Food Act is amended by adding
24Section 1.5 and by changing Section 2 as follows:
 

 

 

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1    (410 ILCS 645/1.5 new)
2    Sec. 1.5. State facility kosher food services.
3    (a) In this Section:
4    "Kosher" means supervised, prepared under, and maintained
5in strict compliance with the laws and customs of the Jewish
6religion, including, but not limited to, (i) the laws and
7customs of shechita requiring the slaughter of animals
8according to appropriate Jewish law and (ii) as expressed by
9reliable, recognized Orthodox Jewish entities and Orthodox
10Jewish rabbis.
11    "State-owned or State-operated facility" means either of
12the following:
13        (1) A hospital that is organized under the University
14    of Illinois Hospital Act.
15        (2) A penal institution, as that term is defined under
16    Section 2-14 of the Criminal Code of 2012, that is owned or
17    operated by the State.
18    (b) Any State-owned or State-operated facility that
19provides food services or cafeteria services for which food
20products are provided or offered for sale also shall offer,
21upon request provided with reasonable notice, kosher food
22options that comply with federal and State nutritional
23guidelines at the State-owned or State-operated facility.
24    (c) Any kosher food product offered under this Section
25shall be certified as kosher by a State-approved organization
26or purchased from a State-approved kosher-certified vendor.

 

 

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1Any person, organization, or vendor falsely representing a
2food product it provides as kosher or falsely representing
3itself as a kosher-certified vendor shall be subject to
4penalties under Section 2 of this Act.
5    (d) The Department of Central Management Services and all
6other relevant State agencies shall adopt all rules necessary
7for the implementation of this Section.
8    (e) The provisions of this Section shall not infringe upon
9or affect any obligation in a contract entered into and in
10effect on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act
11of the 103rd General Assembly.
 
12    (410 ILCS 645/2)  (from Ch. 56 1/2, par. 288.2)
13    Sec. 2. Any person convicted of violating Section 1 or 1.5
14of this Act, shall for the first offense, be guilty of a Class
15C misdemeanor and for the second and each subsequent offense
16shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
17(Source: P.A. 77-2510.)
 
18    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect June 1,
192024.