Bill Amendment: IL HB3240 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly
NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List
Bill Title: ORGANIC TRANSITION PILOT PGM
Status: 2023-05-19 - House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB3240 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HB3240-House_Amendment_001.html
Bill Title: ORGANIC TRANSITION PILOT PGM
Status: 2023-05-19 - House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB3240 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HB3240-House_Amendment_001.html
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1 | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 3240
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2 | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 3240 by replacing | ||||||
3 | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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4 | "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||||
5 | Organic Transition Pilot Program Act.
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6 | Section 5. Definitions. In this Act: | ||||||
7 | "Department" means the Department of Agriculture. | ||||||
8 | "Director" means the Director of Agriculture. | ||||||
9 | "Limited resource farmer" has the meaning ascribed to it | ||||||
10 | in 7 CFR 760.107. | ||||||
11 | "Socially disadvantaged farmer" means a farmer who is a | ||||||
12 | member of a socially disadvantaged group. | ||||||
13 | "Socially disadvantaged group" means a group whose members | ||||||
14 | have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice | ||||||
15 | because of their identity as members of a group without regard | ||||||
16 | to their individual qualities. These groups include all of the |
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1 | following: | ||||||
2 | (1) African Americans. | ||||||
3 | (2) Native Indians. | ||||||
4 | (3) Alaskan Natives. | ||||||
5 | (4) Hispanics.
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6 | (5) Asian Americans. | ||||||
7 | (6) Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. | ||||||
8 | "Urbanized area", as used by the United States Census | ||||||
9 | Bureau, refers to a population of at least 50,000 people.
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10 | Section 10. Organic Transition Pilot Program. | ||||||
11 | (a) On or before July 1, 2024, the Department shall | ||||||
12 | develop and oversee, for a period of 5 years, the Organic | ||||||
13 | Transition Pilot Program. The pilot program shall support the | ||||||
14 | economic viability of farmers, prioritizing limited resource | ||||||
15 | and socially disadvantaged farmers, by providing incentives, | ||||||
16 | including, but not limited to, grants, research, technical | ||||||
17 | assistance, and educational materials and outreach, to farmers | ||||||
18 | who intend to transition land to organic certification under | ||||||
19 | the federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. | ||||||
20 | (b) The Director shall appoint a Farmer Equity Advisor to | ||||||
21 | administer the pilot program and ensure that the pilot program | ||||||
22 | meets the objectives of this Act. | ||||||
23 | (c) In providing incentives under the pilot program, the | ||||||
24 | Department shall do all of the following: | ||||||
25 | (1) Provide incentives to socially disadvantaged |
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1 | farmer applicants who self-certify their intent to farm | ||||||
2 | organically. | ||||||
3 | (2) If there are moneys available after providing | ||||||
4 | incentives under paragraph (1), provide incentives to | ||||||
5 | those limited resource farmer applicants who self-certify | ||||||
6 | their intent to farm organically. | ||||||
7 | (3) If there are moneys available after providing | ||||||
8 | incentives under paragraphs (1), provide incentives to any | ||||||
9 | farmer applicants who self-certify their intent to farm | ||||||
10 | organically. | ||||||
11 | (d)(1) Applicants with year-to-year leases may participate | ||||||
12 | in the pilot program. | ||||||
13 | (2) Repeat applicants may participate in the pilot | ||||||
14 | program. | ||||||
15 | (3) If selected to receive an incentive, an applicant may | ||||||
16 | receive advance payment of that incentive. | ||||||
17 | (4) The Department shall prioritize the provision of | ||||||
18 | incentives to new applicants. | ||||||
19 | (e) The following expenses are eligible for incentives | ||||||
20 | under the pilot program: | ||||||
21 | (1) Organic seeds and starts. | ||||||
22 | (2) Organic livestock, poultry, and related expenses. | ||||||
23 | (3) Organic feed. | ||||||
24 | (4) Soil building supplies. | ||||||
25 | (5) Compost. | ||||||
26 | (6) Compost building or generating supplies. |
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1 | (7) Compost structures supplies. | ||||||
2 | (8) Organic fertilizer and pest control. | ||||||
3 | (9) Organic integrated pest management supplies. | ||||||
4 | (10) Hedgerow and ecosystem enhancement planting and | ||||||
5 | design. | ||||||
6 | (11) Hiring consultants for translation services, | ||||||
7 | certification, business planning, and agronomic practices | ||||||
8 | as they pertain to organic farming certification. | ||||||
9 | (12) Inspection and certification fees. | ||||||
10 | (13) Educational materials on organic certification | ||||||
11 | and production. | ||||||
12 | (14) Development of an organic system plan. | ||||||
13 | (15) Farm supplies and repair. | ||||||
14 | (16) Other expenses deemed necessary by the Director | ||||||
15 | that further the pilot program. | ||||||
16 | (f) The Director shall make available not less than 15% of | ||||||
17 | the moneys appropriated to the Department for purposes of the | ||||||
18 | pilot program to technical service providers with organic | ||||||
19 | expertise, including, but not limited to, the University of | ||||||
20 | Illinois Extension, conservation districts, and nonprofits for | ||||||
21 | any of the following purposes: | ||||||
22 | (1) Providing organic-specific technical assistance as | ||||||
23 | defined in 24 CFR Part 570, training, organic | ||||||
24 | certification support, financial and farm planning, | ||||||
25 | communication support, program recruitment, recordkeeping | ||||||
26 | support, support with the application process, and |
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1 | translation support to limited resource and socially | ||||||
2 | disadvantaged farmers. | ||||||
3 | (2) Establishing a mentorship program for organic | ||||||
4 | farmers to support transitioning farmers. | ||||||
5 | (3) Supporting annual information sharing for the | ||||||
6 | continuous improvement of program guidelines, application | ||||||
7 | processes, and relevant organic research. | ||||||
8 | (4) Developing capacity and expertise of technical | ||||||
9 | assistance providers to support limited resource and | ||||||
10 | socially disadvantaged farmers to transition to organic | ||||||
11 | farming. | ||||||
12 | (g)(1) On or before January 1, 2025, and annually | ||||||
13 | thereafter until a report has been submitted that covers the | ||||||
14 | conclusion of the pilot program, the Department shall submit a | ||||||
15 | report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the outcome | ||||||
16 | of the pilot program. | ||||||
17 | (2) The report shall include, but is not limited to, all of | ||||||
18 | the following: | ||||||
19 | (A) The number of grants awarded, including the number | ||||||
20 | of grants awarded to socially disadvantaged farmers. | ||||||
21 | (B) The amount of funds awarded.
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22 | (C) The number of grant awardees who obtained organic | ||||||
23 | certification. | ||||||
24 | (D) The names of the technical assistance providers | ||||||
25 | that received grants, and a summary of the technical | ||||||
26 | assistance they provided. |
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1 | (3) The Department shall post the reports submitted under | ||||||
2 | paragraph (1) on the Department's website.
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3 | Section 15. Comprehensive market analysis. | ||||||
4 | (a) On or before July 1, 2024, the Department shall | ||||||
5 | conduct a comprehensive statewide market analysis of the total | ||||||
6 | economic impacts of Illinois' organic products sector. | ||||||
7 | (b) The market analysis shall, at a minimum, do all of the | ||||||
8 | following: | ||||||
9 | (1) Compile employment and wage data connected to | ||||||
10 | production, distribution, and sales of organic products in | ||||||
11 | Illinois. | ||||||
12 | (2) Assess the economic impacts of Illinois's organic | ||||||
13 | trade sectors. | ||||||
14 | (3) Evaluate revenues that the Illinois State | ||||||
15 | government derives from the Illinois organic products | ||||||
16 | sector. | ||||||
17 | (4) Identify and assess economic and growth | ||||||
18 | opportunities related to Illinois organic products and | ||||||
19 | trade. | ||||||
20 | (c) The Department shall post the market analysis on its | ||||||
21 | website.
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22 | Section 20. Repeal. This Act is repealed on January 1, | ||||||
23 | 2030.".
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