HB3554 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 27094 HLH 53462 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3554

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Mary Beth Canty

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 205/205-455 new

Amends the Department of Agriculture Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of Agriculture shall award grants to special access food providers in the State.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning finance.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Agriculture Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 205-455 as follows:

(20 ILCS 205/205-455 new)

Sec. 205-455. Grants to special access food providers.

(a) Beginning on July 1, 2023, subject to appropriation, the Department shall award grants to special access food providers in the State. The amount of the grant may not exceed the sum or 15% of the special access food provider's basis in the grocery store, plus 10% of the renovation expenditures incurred by the special access food provider.

(b) As used in this Section:

"Food desert" means any census tract that meets the following criteria:

(1) if the census tract is located in a metropolitan area, then not less than 500 people or 33% of the population of the census tract, whichever is less, reside more than one mile from a grocery store; or

(2) if the census tract is located in a nonmetropolitan area, then not less than 500 people or 33% of the population of the census tract, whichever is less, reside more than 10 miles from a grocery store.

"Grocery store" means a retail store for which forecasted sales of groceries account for not less than 35% of its total annual sales.

"Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other organization.

"Special access food provider" means a person that is seeking to construct, renovate, or rehabilitate a property that (i) will be used as a grocery store upon completion of the construction, renovation, or rehabilitation and (ii) is located in a food desert in the State on the date on which construction, renovation, or rehabilitation begins.