IL
Illinois House Bill HB1607

Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB1607 Compare Versions

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1+104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1607 Introduced , by Rep. Sonya M. Harper SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act Creates the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts Act. Establishes the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor for the purpose of reviewing the effectiveness of current State-led efforts to eliminate food deserts in Illinois and advising the General Assembly on policy, funding, initiatives, and best practices for the elimination of food deserts in Illinois. Describes the membership of the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall convene at the call of the chairperson and meet as frequently as necessary to carry out its duties. Provides that the Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall provide administrative and other support to the Commission. Provides that commissioners shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. Provides that the Commission shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2027, with annual addenda thereafter. Provides that the Act is repealed and the Commission is dissolved if 90% of food deserts in this State have been eliminated, with certain requirements. Defines terms. LRB104 07687 BDA 17731 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1607 Introduced , by Rep. Sonya M. Harper SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act Creates the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts Act. Establishes the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor for the purpose of reviewing the effectiveness of current State-led efforts to eliminate food deserts in Illinois and advising the General Assembly on policy, funding, initiatives, and best practices for the elimination of food deserts in Illinois. Describes the membership of the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall convene at the call of the chairperson and meet as frequently as necessary to carry out its duties. Provides that the Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall provide administrative and other support to the Commission. Provides that commissioners shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. Provides that the Commission shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2027, with annual addenda thereafter. Provides that the Act is repealed and the Commission is dissolved if 90% of food deserts in this State have been eliminated, with certain requirements. Defines terms. LRB104 07687 BDA 17731 b LRB104 07687 BDA 17731 b A BILL FOR
2+104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1607 Introduced , by Rep. Sonya M. Harper SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3+New Act New Act
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5+Creates the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts Act. Establishes the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor for the purpose of reviewing the effectiveness of current State-led efforts to eliminate food deserts in Illinois and advising the General Assembly on policy, funding, initiatives, and best practices for the elimination of food deserts in Illinois. Describes the membership of the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall convene at the call of the chairperson and meet as frequently as necessary to carry out its duties. Provides that the Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall provide administrative and other support to the Commission. Provides that commissioners shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. Provides that the Commission shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2027, with annual addenda thereafter. Provides that the Act is repealed and the Commission is dissolved if 90% of food deserts in this State have been eliminated, with certain requirements. Defines terms.
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311 1 AN ACT concerning State government.
412 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
513 3 represented in the General Assembly:
614 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
715 5 Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts Act.
816 6 Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
917 7 "Commission" means the Commission on Eliminating Food
1018 8 Deserts established under this Act.
1119 9 "Commissioner" means a commissioner on the Commission, as
1220 10 listed in subsection (b) of Section 10 of this Act.
1321 11 "Food desert" means a geographic area where people have
1422 12 limited access to affordable, healthy, and nutritious food.
1523 13 "Food desert" includes a food desert as defined by Economic
1624 14 Research Report Number 140 of the Economic Research Service of
1725 15 the U.S. Department of Agriculture, August 2012.
1826 16 Section 10. Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts.
1927 17 (a) The Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts is
20-18 established in the Department of Public Health for the
28+18 established in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor for the
2129 19 following purposes:
2230 20 (1) to review the effectiveness of current State-led
2331 21 efforts to eliminate food deserts in Illinois; and
2432 22 (2) to advise the General Assembly on policy, funding,
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36+104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1607 Introduced , by Rep. Sonya M. Harper SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
37+New Act New Act
38+New Act
39+Creates the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts Act. Establishes the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor for the purpose of reviewing the effectiveness of current State-led efforts to eliminate food deserts in Illinois and advising the General Assembly on policy, funding, initiatives, and best practices for the elimination of food deserts in Illinois. Describes the membership of the Commission. Provides that the Commission shall convene at the call of the chairperson and meet as frequently as necessary to carry out its duties. Provides that the Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall provide administrative and other support to the Commission. Provides that commissioners shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. Provides that the Commission shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2027, with annual addenda thereafter. Provides that the Act is repealed and the Commission is dissolved if 90% of food deserts in this State have been eliminated, with certain requirements. Defines terms.
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3367 1 initiatives, and best practices for the elimination of
3468 2 food deserts in Illinois.
3569 3 (b) The Commission shall consist of the following
3670 4 commissioners:
37-5 (1) the Director of Public Health or the Director's
38-6 designee, who shall serve as chairperson;
71+5 (1) the Lieutenant Governor or the Lieutenant
72+6 Governor's designee, who shall serve as chairperson;
3973 7 (2) the Secretary of Human Services or the Secretary's
4074 8 designee;
41-9 (3) the Director of Aging or the Director's designee;
42-10 (4) the Director of Agriculture or the Director's
43-11 designee;
44-12 (5) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
45-13 or the Director's designee, who shall serve as an ex
46-14 officio, nonvoting, advisory member;
75+9 (3) the Director of Public Health or the Director's
76+10 designee;
77+11 (4) the Director of Agriculture or the Director's
78+12 designee;
79+13 (5) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
80+14 or the Director's designee;
4781 15 (6) one commissioner who is a representative of the
4882 16 University of Illinois Extension, appointed by the
4983 17 Director of Extension and Outreach in the College of
5084 18 Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences at the
5185 19 University of Illinois;
5286 20 (7) one member of the Senate, appointed by the
5387 21 President of the Senate;
5488 22 (8) one member of the House of Representatives,
5589 23 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
5690 24 (9) one member of the Senate, appointed by the Senate
5791 25 Minority Leader;
5892 26 (10) one member of the House of Representatives,
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69103 1 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
70104 2 Representatives;
71105 3 (11) one commissioner who is a representative of a
72106 4 county government of a county in Illinois with a
73107 5 population greater than 1,000,000 people, appointed by the
74108 6 Governor;
75109 7 (12) one commissioner who is a representative of a
76110 8 county government of a county in Illinois with a
77111 9 population fewer than 1,000,000 people but greater than
78112 10 500,000 people, appointed by the Governor;
79113 11 (13) one commissioner who is a representative of a
80114 12 county government of a county in Illinois with a
81115 13 population fewer than 500,000 people, appointed by the
82116 14 Governor;
83117 15 (14) one commissioner who is involved in agriculture
84118 16 in Illinois, appointed by the Governor;
85119 17 (15) one commissioner who is a representative of a
86120 18 food retailer in Illinois, appointed by the Governor;
87121 19 (16) one commissioner who is a representative of
88122 20 retailers in Illinois, appointed by the Governor;
89123 21 (17) eight commissioners who reside in food deserts in
90-22 Illinois, appointed by the Governor;
124+22 Illinois, appointed by the Governor; and
91125 23 (18) four commissioners who are representatives of
92126 24 non-profit organizations in food deserts in Illinois,
93-25 appointed by the Governor; and
94-26 (19) one commissioner who is a representative of labor
127+25 appointed by the Governor.
128+26 (c) The Commission shall convene and meet at the call of
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105-1 organizations, appointed by the Governor.
106-2 (c) The Commission shall convene and meet at the call of
107-3 the chairperson and shall meet as frequently as necessary to
108-4 carry out its duties as required by this Act.
109-5 (d) The Department of Public Health shall provide
110-6 administrative and other support to the Commission.
111-7 (e) Commissioners shall serve without compensation but
112-8 shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary
113-9 expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose.
114-10 (f) The Commission shall submit a report to the Governor
115-11 and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2027. The
116-12 substance of the report shall include the number or amount of
117-13 food deserts in this State, shall address the purposes of the
118-14 Commission in subsection (a) of this Section, and shall
119-15 provide any other advice or recommendations of the Commission.
120-16 (g) After the submission of the report under subsection
121-17 (f), the Commission shall submit an annual addendum to the
122-18 Governor and the General Assembly with any updates to the
123-19 substance of the report and noting the percentage of food
124-20 deserts in this State that have been eliminated since the
125-21 submission of the report.
126-22 (h) If the Commission submits an annual addendum under
127-23 subsection (g) to the report under subsection (f) which notes
128-24 that 90% of food deserts in this State have been eliminated,
129-25 then the chairperson of the Commission shall:
130-26 (1) file with the Index Department of the Office of
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139+1 the chairperson and shall meet as frequently as necessary to
140+2 carry out its duties as required by this Act.
141+3 (d) The Office of the Lieutenant Governor shall provide
142+4 administrative and other support to the Commission.
143+5 (e) Commissioners shall serve without compensation but
144+6 shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary
145+7 expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose.
146+8 (f) The Commission shall submit a report to the Governor
147+9 and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2027. The
148+10 substance of the report shall include the number or amount of
149+11 food deserts in this State, shall address the purposes of the
150+12 Commission in subsection (a) of this Section, and shall
151+13 provide any other advice or recommendations of the Commission.
152+14 (g) After the submission of the report under subsection
153+15 (f), the Commission shall submit an annual addendum to the
154+16 Governor and the General Assembly with any updates to the
155+17 substance of the report and noting the percentage of food
156+18 deserts in this State that have been eliminated since the
157+19 submission of the report.
158+20 (h) If the Commission submits an annual addendum under
159+21 subsection (g) to the report under subsection (f) which notes
160+22 that 90% of food deserts in this State have been eliminated,
161+23 then the chairperson of the Commission shall:
162+24 (1) file with the Index Department of the Office of
163+25 the Secretary of State a declaration that 90% of food
164+26 deserts in this State have been eliminated and that the
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141-1 the Secretary of State a declaration that 90% of food
142-2 deserts in this State have been eliminated and that the
143-3 Commission shall be dissolved;
144-4 (2) notify the Clerk of the House of Representatives
145-5 of the filing described in paragraph (1) on the day that it
146-6 occurs;
147-7 (3) notify the Secretary of the Senate of the filing
148-8 described in paragraph (1) on the day that it occurs; and
149-9 (4) notify the Executive Director of the Legislative
150-10 Reference Bureau of the filing described in paragraph (1)
151-11 on the day that it occurs.
152-12 Upon such filing and notification, this Act is repealed
153-13 and the Commission is dissolved as provided in Section 15 of
154-14 this Act.
155-15 Section 15. Repeal. This Act is repealed and the
156-16 Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts is dissolved upon the
157-17 occurrence of the conditions set forth is subsection (h) of
158-18 Section 10 of this Act.
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175+1 Commission shall be dissolved;
176+2 (2) notify the Clerk of the House of Representatives
177+3 of the filing described in paragraph (1) on the day that it
178+4 occurs;
179+5 (3) notify the Secretary of the Senate of the filing
180+6 described in paragraph (1) on the day that it occurs; and
181+7 (4) notify the Executive Director of the Legislative
182+8 Reference Bureau of the filing described in paragraph (1)
183+9 on the day that it occurs.
184+10 Upon such filing and notification, this Act is repealed
185+11 and the Commission is dissolved as provided in Section 15 of
186+12 this Act.
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