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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has seen an alarming rise in
3 statistics for the growing prevalence of obesity, diabetes,
4 cancer, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The rise of these diseases in the State of
6 Illinois is predominantly in disadvantaged neighborhoods
7 across the State; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Well documented research has shown the positive
9 correlation of these diseases with poor nutrition due to lack
10 of access to proper nutritional food in disadvantaged
11 neighborhoods; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The identified specific areas suffering from poor
13 access to proper nutritional food are designated as underserved
14 areas; and
 
15     WHEREAS, More than half a million Chicagoans live in three
16 areas of the city identified as "Underserved Areas" when it
17 comes proper basic nutrition; and
 
18     WHEREAS, These respective underserved areas are
19 predominantly home to residents of African American descent,
20 where nearly 400,000 live in areas with an imbalance of food

 

 

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1 choices; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Residents of underserved areas are limited to food
3 choices such as readily accessible fast food and other fringe
4 retail outlets but very limited or no access to the fresh
5 healthy food available at grocery stores; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Research has indicated large increases in cancer
7 and diabetes in these respective populations; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The Illinois Food Marketing Task Force comprised
9 of civic leaders, private organizations, and vendors has
10 continued to meet and has now formalized recommendations to
11 address the issue of improving children's health by drafting
12 policy recommendations for State and local government that
13 address barriers to supermarket and grocery store development
14 in underserved areas; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The Illinois Food Marketing Task Force has
16 recommended that a partnership of city and State government
17 leaders of Illinois, businesses leaders, and private
18 organizations come together to erase the disparity in nutrition
19 between low income and high income neighborhoods; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The Illinois Food Marketing Task Force has
21 specifically recommended the State of Illinois should

 

 

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1 encourage public investment to support local supermarket and
2 grocery store development projects; and
 
3     WHEREAS, The Illinois Food Marketing Task Force has
4 specifically recommended that State and local governments
5 should create a grant and loan program to support local
6 supermarket development projects in low-to-moderate-income
7 neighborhoods; and
 
8     WHEREAS, On May 19th, 2009, the Illinois Food Marketing
9 Task Force officially called upon legislators to establish an
10 Illinois Fresh Food Fund to stimulate supermarket development
11 statewide; therefore, be it
 
12     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
13 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
14 CONCURRING HEREIN, that a Task Force be created to consider an
15 Illinois Fresh Food Fund and make recommendations, including
16 potential legislation, yielding a result that successfully
17 stimulates supermarket development across Illinois; and be it
18 further
 
19     RESOLVED, That this Task Force be comprised of two members
20 of the Illinois Senate, one to be appointed by the President of
21 the Senate and one to be appointed by the Minority Leader of
22 the Senate, two members of the Illinois House of

 

 

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1 Representatives, one to be appointed by the Speaker of the
2 House and one to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the
3 House, and a representative from the Governor's office
4 appointed by the Governor; and be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That this Task Force make a report to the General
6 Assembly of its findings and recommendations by February 1,
7 2010; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That the Department of Public Health provide
9 administrative support to the Task Force.