Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB2531 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2531 Introduced , by Rep. Mary Beth Canty SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 20 ILCS 750/520 ILCS 750/15 Amends the Grocery Initiative Act. Provides that Grocery Initiative Grants may be used to provide access to equipment that is needed to accept payment from the Women, Infant, Children's program (WIC). Makes changes to the definition of "grocery store" to include certain meat retailers, fruit and vegetable retailers, and fish and seafood retailers. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2531 Introduced , by Rep. Mary Beth Canty SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 20 ILCS 750/520 ILCS 750/15 20 ILCS 750/5 20 ILCS 750/15 Amends the Grocery Initiative Act. Provides that Grocery Initiative Grants may be used to provide access to equipment that is needed to accept payment from the Women, Infant, Children's program (WIC). Makes changes to the definition of "grocery store" to include certain meat retailers, fruit and vegetable retailers, and fish and seafood retailers. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b A BILL FOR
2	2	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2531 Introduced , by Rep. Mary Beth Canty SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3	3	20 ILCS 750/520 ILCS 750/15 20 ILCS 750/5 20 ILCS 750/15
4	4	20 ILCS 750/5
5	5	20 ILCS 750/15
6	6	Amends the Grocery Initiative Act. Provides that Grocery Initiative Grants may be used to provide access to equipment that is needed to accept payment from the Women, Infant, Children's program (WIC). Makes changes to the definition of "grocery store" to include certain meat retailers, fruit and vegetable retailers, and fish and seafood retailers. Effective July 1, 2025.
7	7	LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b
8	8	LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b
9	9	A BILL FOR
10	10	HB2531LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b HB2531 LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b
11	11	HB2531 LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b
12	12	1 AN ACT concerning State government.
13	13	2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
14	14	3 represented in the General Assembly:
15	15	4 Section 5. The Grocery Initiative Act is amended by
16	16	5 changing Sections 5 and 15 as follows:
17	17	6 (20 ILCS 750/5)
18	18	7 Sec. 5. Definitions. In this Act:
19	19	8 "Cooperative" means an organization that is organized
20	20	9 according to the Co-operative Act.
21	21	10 "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
22	22	11 Opportunity.
23	23	12 "Food desert" means a census tract that:
24	24	13 (1) meets one of the following poverty standards:
25	25	14 (A) the census tract has a poverty rate of at least
26	26	15 20%; or
27	27	16 (B) the census tract is not located within a
28	28	17 metropolitan statistical area and has a median family
29	29	18 income that is less than or equal to 80% of the
30	30	19 statewide median household income; or
31	31	20 (C) the census tract is located within a
32	32	21 metropolitan statistical area and has a median family
33	33	22 income that is less than or equal to 80% of the greater
34	34	23 of (i) the statewide median household income or (ii)
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38	38	104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2531 Introduced , by Rep. Mary Beth Canty SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
39	39	20 ILCS 750/520 ILCS 750/15 20 ILCS 750/5 20 ILCS 750/15
40	40	20 ILCS 750/5
41	41	20 ILCS 750/15
42	42	Amends the Grocery Initiative Act. Provides that Grocery Initiative Grants may be used to provide access to equipment that is needed to accept payment from the Women, Infant, Children's program (WIC). Makes changes to the definition of "grocery store" to include certain meat retailers, fruit and vegetable retailers, and fish and seafood retailers. Effective July 1, 2025.
43	43	LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b
44	44	LRB104 09581 HLH 19644 b
45	45	A BILL FOR
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51	51	20 ILCS 750/5
52	52	20 ILCS 750/15
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71	71	1 the metropolitan area median family income; and
72	72	2 (2) meets one of the following population density and
73	73	3 food accessibility standards:
74	74	4 (A) the census tract is a rural tract, and at least
75	75	5 33% of the population of the tract or at least 500
76	76	6 residents in the tract reside more than 10 miles from
77	77	7 the nearest grocery store; or
78	78	8 (B) the census tract is an urban tract, and at
79	79	9 least 33% of the population of the tract or at least
80	80	10 500 residents in the tract reside more than one-half
81	81	11 mile from the nearest grocery store.
82	82	12 The Department may also designate an area that does not
83	83	13 meet the standards set forth in this definition as a food
84	84	14 desert if the designation is made in accordance with criteria
85	85	15 established by the Department by rule using data that
86	86	16 includes, but is not limited to, poverty metrics and access to
87	87	17 existing grocery stores.
88	88	18 "Grocery store" means an existing or planned retail
89	89	19 establishment that: (1) has or will have a primary business of
90	90	20 selling a variety of grocery products, including fresh
91	91	21 produce; (2) derives or will derive no more than 30% of its
92	92	22 revenue from sales of tobacco and alcohol in any given year;
93	93	23 (3) is or will be classified as (i) a supermarket or other
94	94	24 grocery retailer in the 2022 North American Industry
95	95	25 Classification System under code 445110, (ii) a meat retailer
96	96	26 in the 2022 North American Industry Classification System
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107	107	1 under code 44524, (iii) a fruit and vegetable retailer in the
108	108	2 2022 North American Industry Classification System under code
109	109	3 44523, or (iv) a fish and seafood retailer in the 2022 North
110	110	4 American Industry Classification System under code 44525; (4)
111	111	5 accepts or will accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
112	112	6 Program benefits and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program
113	113	7 for Women, Infants, and Children benefits; and (5) provides or
114	114	8 will provide for the retail sale of a substantial variety of
115	115	9 perishable foods, including fresh or frozen dairy products,
116	116	10 fresh produce, and fresh meats, poultry, and fish.
117	117	11 "Local governmental unit" means any county, municipality,
118	118	12 township, special district, or unit that is designated as a
119	119	13 unit of local government by law and exercises limited
120	120	14 governmental powers or powers in respect to limited
121	121	15 governmental subjects. "Local governmental unit" also includes
122	122	16 any school district or community college district.
123	123	17 "Not-for-profit corporation" means an organization or
124	124	18 institution that is organized and conducted on a
125	125	19 not-for-profit basis with no personal profit inuring to anyone
126	126	20 as a result of the operation and that is organized according to
127	127	21 the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986.
128	128	22 "Rural tract" means a census tract that is not an urban
129	129	23 tract.
130	130	24 "Urban tract" means a census tract having its geographic
131	131	25 centroid in an urban area, as defined by the Bureau of the
132	132	26 Census for the most recent year in which all relevant data to
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143	143	1 identify food deserts is available.
144	144	2 (Source: P.A. 103-561, eff. 1-1-24.)
145	145	3 (20 ILCS 750/15)
146	146	4 Sec. 15. Grocery Initiative Grants and Financial Support.
147	147	5 (a) The Department shall, subject to appropriation,
148	148	6 establish the Grocery Initiative to expand access to healthy
149	149	7 foods in food deserts in Illinois and areas at risk of becoming
150	150	8 food deserts in Illinois by providing grants and other forms
151	151	9 of financial assistance to independently owned for-profit
152	152	10 grocery stores, cooperative grocery stores, or not-for-profit
153	153	11 grocery stores, as well as grocery stores owned and operated
154	154	12 by local governmental units. The Department may enter into
155	155	13 contracts, grants, or other agreements to administer these
156	156	14 grants and other forms of financial assistance. The Department
157	157	15 may, by rule, place limits on the size of the grocery stores
158	158	16 that are eligible for grants and other financial assistance
159	159	17 under this Act, including, but not limited to, limits on the
160	160	18 annual revenue or projected revenue of the applicant, number
161	161	19 of full-time employees, or square footage of the facilities.
162	162	20 The Department may prioritize grant awards and loan funding to
163	163	21 applicants based on poverty rates, income, geographic
164	164	22 diversity, local ownership, access to grocery stores in the
165	165	23 area surrounding proposed project locations, and other factors
166	166	24 as determined by the Department. The Department may award
167	167	25 grants or provide loans for any one or more of the following:
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178	178	1 (1) market and site feasibility studies, promotional
179	179	2 materials, and marketing;
180	180	3 (2) salaries and benefits for workers;
181	181	4 (3) rent or a down payment to acquire a facility;
182	182	5 (4) purchase of ownership of a grocery store as part
183	183	6 of establishing a new grocery store;
184	184	7 (5) capital improvements, planning, renovations, land
185	185	8 acquisition, demolition, durable and non-durable equipment
186	186	9 purchases; or
187	187	10 (6) other costs as determined eligible by the
188	188	11 Department.
189	189	12 (b) The Department may, subject to appropriation, provide
190	190	13 grants for equipment upgrades for existing independently owned
191	191	14 for-profit grocery stores, cooperative grocery stores,
192	192	15 not-for-profit grocery stores, or farmer-owned grocery stores
193	193	16 or markets. The Department shall use no more than 20% of total
194	194	17 program funding for this purpose. Equipment upgrades shall be
195	195	18 focused on providing access to equipment that is energy
196	196	19 efficient and to provide access to equipment that is needed to
197	197	20 accept payment from the Women, Infant, Children's program
198	198	21 (WIC).
199	199	22 (Source: P.A. 103-561, eff. 1-1-24; 103-957, eff. 1-1-25.)
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