Public Act 104-0447
 
HB1607 EnrolledLRB104 07687 BDA 17731 b

    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Task 
Force on Eliminating Food Deserts Act.
 
    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
    "Food desert" means a geographic area where people have 
limited access to affordable, healthy, and nutritious food. 
"Food desert" includes a food desert as defined by Economic 
Research Report Number 140 of the Economic Research Service of 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, August 2012.
    "Task Force" means the Task Force on Eliminating Food 
Deserts established under this Act. 
    "Task Force member" means a task force member on the Task 
Force, as listed in subsection (b) of Section 10 of this Act. 
 
    Section 10. Task Force on Eliminating Food Deserts. 
    (a) The Task Force on Eliminating Food Deserts is 
established in the Department of Public Health for the 
following purposes: 
        (1) to review the effectiveness of current State-led 
    efforts to eliminate food deserts in Illinois; and 
        (2) to advise the General Assembly on policy, funding, 
    initiatives, and best practices for the elimination of 
    food deserts in Illinois. 
    (b) The Task Force shall consist of the following members: 
        (1) the Director of Public Health or the Director's 
    designee, who shall serve as chairperson; 
        (2) the Secretary of Human Services or the Secretary's 
    designee; 
        (3) the Director of Aging or the Director's designee; 
        (4) the Director of Agriculture or the Director's 
    designee; 
        (5) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity 
    or the Director's designee, who shall serve as an ex 
    officio, nonvoting, advisory member; 
        (6) one task force member who is a representative of 
    the University of Illinois Extension, appointed by the 
    Director of Extension and Outreach in the College of 
    Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences at the 
    University of Illinois; 
        (7) one member of the Senate, appointed by the 
    President of the Senate; 
        (8) one member of the House of Representatives, 
    appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; 
        (9) one member of the Senate, appointed by the Senate 
    Minority Leader; 
        (10) one member of the House of Representatives, 
    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of 
    Representatives; 
        (11) one task force member who is a representative of 
    a county government of a county in Illinois with a 
    population equal to or greater than 1,000,000 people, 
    appointed by the Governor; 
        (12) one task force member who is a representative of 
    a county government of a county in Illinois with a 
    population fewer than 1,000,000 people but equal to or 
    greater than 500,000 people, appointed by the Governor; 
        (13) one task force member who is a representative of 
    a county government of a county in Illinois with a 
    population fewer than 500,000 people, appointed by the 
    Governor; 
        (14) one task force member who is involved in 
    agriculture in Illinois, appointed by the Governor; 
        (15) one task force member who is a representative of 
    a food retailer in Illinois, appointed by the Governor; 
        (16) one task force member who is a representative of 
    retailers in Illinois, appointed by the Governor; 
        (17) eight task force members who reside in food 
    deserts in Illinois, appointed by the Governor;
        (18) four task force members who are representatives 
    of non-profit organizations in food deserts in Illinois, 
    appointed by the Governor; and 
        (19) one task force member who is a representative of 
    labor organizations, appointed by the Governor.
    (c) The Task Force shall convene and meet at the call of 
the chairperson and shall meet as frequently as necessary to 
carry out its duties as required by this Act. 
    (d) The Department of Public Health shall provide 
administrative and other support to the Task Force. 
    (e) Task force members shall serve without compensation 
but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and necessary 
expenses from funds appropriated for that purpose. 
    (f) The Task Force shall submit a report to the Governor 
and the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2028. The 
substance of the report shall include the number or amount of 
food deserts in this State, shall address the purposes of the 
Task Force in subsection (a) of this Section, and shall 
provide any other advice or recommendations of the Task Force. 
After submitting the report, the chairperson of the Task Force 
shall:
        (1) file with the Index Department of the Office of 
    the Secretary of State a declaration that the Task Force 
    on Eliminating Food Deserts shall be dissolved;
        (2) notify the Clerk of the House of Representatives 
    of the filing described in paragraph (1) on the day that it 
    occurs;
        (3) notify the Secretary of the Senate of the filing 
    described in paragraph (1) on the day that it occurs; and 
        (4) notify the Executive Director of the Legislative 
    Reference Bureau of the filing described in paragraph (1) 
    on the day that it occurs.
    Upon such filing and notification, this Act is repealed 
and the Task Force is dissolved as provided in Section 15 of 
this Act.
 
    Section 15. Repeal. This Act is repealed and the Task 
Force on Eliminating Food Deserts is dissolved upon the 
occurrence of the conditions set forth in subsection (f) of 
Section 10 of this Act.