SR0626 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0626 LRB095 20649 RPM 48874 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Farmers' markets provide not only a valuable marketplace for farmers to sell their products directly to consumers, but also a place for consumers to access fresh fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products; and

WHEREAS, These markets successfully operate across Illinois; however, there is a lack of comprehensive regulation from one county to the next, resulting in discrepancies between counties regarding the products that may be sold; and

WHEREAS, In 1999, the Department of Public Health published "Technical Information Bulletin/Food #30," in order to outline the sanitation guidelines required for farmers' markets, producer markets, and other outdoor food sales events; and

WHEREAS, This bulletin has not been uniformly interpreted across the State; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that there is created the Task Force on Farmers' Markets, consisting of 12 members appointed as follows: the President of the Senate and Minority Leader of the Senate shall each appoint one member to serve as a co-chair; the Director of Public Health or his or her designee, the Director of Agriculture or his or her designee, a representative of the Farm Bureau, 3 representatives of local county public health departments appointed by the Director of Public Health and selected from 3 different counties representing each of the northern, central, and southern portions of Illinois, and 4 members of the general public who are engaged in local farmers' markets, 2 of whom shall each be approved by a co-chair of the Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That all members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force can appoint members as it sees fit to serve as representatives of local farmers' markets or other concerned parties; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the duty of the Task Force is to undertake a comprehensive and thorough review of the current implementation of the various Acts that define which products and practices are permitted and which products and practices are not permitted at farmers' markets and other outdoor food sale events; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall assist the Department of Public Health in developing interagency agreements and programs and procedures regarding the implementation of the various Acts that define which products and practices are permitted and which products and practices are not permitted at farmers' markets and other outdoor food sale events; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Public Health shall provide staffing support to the Task Force and shall administer and prepare all reports deemed necessary in conjunction with the Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force may request assistance from any entity necessary or useful for the performance of its duties; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall issue a report with its recommendations to the Senate on or before December 31, 2008.