Bill Text: IL HB5235 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Comprehensive Charitable Food System Coordination Act. Provides that, in administering or appropriating State or State-managed federal grant funds for hunger relief, each State agency must: (1) consult and coordinate with specified actors in the charitable food system; (2) ensure that grant solicitations and funding criteria reflect the interconnected roles of food providers, distributors, producers, facilitators, and data systems; and (3) consider proposals that strengthen coordination, efficiency, resiliency, and equity across the charitable food system. Provides that State agencies are encouraged to establish advisory groups or working groups comprised of actors in the charitable food system. Requires certain reports. Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall make grants from the Hunger Relief Fund to food banks and providers (currently, food banks only). Effective July 1, 2026.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2026-05-13 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kevin John Olickal [HB5235 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB5235-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026HB5235 Introduced , by Rep. Sonya M. Harper SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
20 ILCS 1305/10-65
Creates the Comprehensive Charitable Food System Coordination Act. Provides that, in administering or appropriating State or State-managed federal grant funds for hunger relief, each State agency must: (1) consult and coordinate with specified actors in the charitable food system; (2) ensure that grant solicitations and funding criteria reflect the interconnected roles of food providers, distributors, producers, facilitators, and data systems; and (3) consider proposals that strengthen coordination, efficiency, resiliency, and equity across the charitable food system. Provides that State agencies are encouraged to establish advisory groups or working groups comprised of actors in the charitable food system. Requires certain reports. Amends the Department of Human Services Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall make grants from the Hunger Relief Fund to food banks and providers (currently, food banks only). Effective July 1, 2026.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning finance.
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
Comprehensive Charitable Food System Coordination Act.
Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to ensure
that State-administered hunger relief programs and grantmaking
activities strengthen the entire charitable food system by
considering all key actors involved in food access,
distribution, and coordination.
Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Actor in the charitable food system" means a person or
entity that is included in one or more of the following
categories:
(1) food providers, including food banks, food
pantries, community-based organizations, non-profit
organizations, schools, hospitals, mutual aid
organizations, retailers, and meal programs;
(2) food distributors, including last-mile delivery
organizations, and food wholesalers;
(3) food producers, including farmers, agricultural
cooperatives, and community gardens;

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(4) facilitators,including logistics providers,
warehousers, storage facilities, aggregators, outreach
coordinators, and operational support agencies; and
(5) operators of data systems used for the tracking,
measurement, and reporting of food and other edible
commodities.
"Charitable food system" means the network of
organizations, entities, and systems that procure, transport,
distribute, or facilitate access to food or edible
commodities, or the products of food or edible commodities,
for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
Section 15. State grant coordination requirements.
(a) In administering or appropriating State or
State-managed federal grant funds for hunger relief, each
State agency must:
(1) consult and coordinate with, to the extent
practicable, all of the categories of actors in the
charitable food system listed in Section 10;
(2) ensure that grant solicitations and funding
criteria reflect the interconnected roles of food
providers, distributors, producers, facilitators, and data
systems; and
(3) consider proposals that strengthen coordination,
efficiency, resiliency, and equity across the charitable
food system.

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(b) State agencies are encouraged to establish advisory
groups or working groups comprised of representatives from the
categories of actors in the charitable food system listed in
Section 10 to assist in developing funding priorities,
performance metrics, and partnership guidelines.
Section 20. Reporting; evaluation. Each State agency
administering hunger relief grant funds must submit an annual
report to the appropriate State oversight entity describing:
(1) how actors in the charitable food system were
engaged in grant planning, allocation, and evaluation;
(2) measurable impacts on food access, food quality,
and community resilience; and
(3) barriers or opportunities identified through
cross-sector collaboration.
Section 25. Authorization of appropriations. The General
Assembly shall provide by law for appropriations in such sums
as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
Section 900. The Department of Human Services Act is
amended by changing Section 10-65 as follows:
(20 ILCS 1305/10-65)
Sec. 10-65. Hunger Relief Fund; grants.
(a) The Hunger Relief Fund is created as a special fund in

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the State treasury. From appropriations to the Department from
the Fund, the Department shall make grants to food banks and
providers for the purpose of purchasing food and related
supplies. In this Section, "food bank" means a public or
charitable institution that maintains an established operation
involving the provision of food or edible commodities, or the
products of food or edible commodities, to food pantries, soup
kitchens, hunger relief centers, or other food or feeding
centers that, as an integral part of their normal activities,
provide meals or food to feed needy persons on a regular basis.
(b) Moneys received for the purposes of this Section,
including, without limitation, appropriations, gifts,
donations, grants, and awards from any public or private
entity must be deposited into the Fund. Any interest earned on
moneys in the Fund must be deposited into the Fund.
(c) As used in this Section, "provider" means a public or
charitable organization that is unaffiliated with a food bank
and maintains an operation involving the provision of food or
edible commodities that, as an integral part of their normal
activities, provide meals or food to feed needy persons on a
regular basis.
(Source: P.A. 96-604, eff. 8-24-09; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11.)
Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2026.