Bill Text: IL SB1279 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Food and Agriculture Research Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the legislative purposes of the Act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-02-10 - Referred to Assignments [SB1279 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-SB1279-Introduced.html

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96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2009 and 2010 SB1279 Introduced 2/10/2009, by Sen. John O. Jones SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
505 ILCS 82/5
Amends the Food and Agriculture Research Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the legislative purposes of the Act.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning agriculture.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Food and Agriculture Research Act is amended
by changing Section 5 as follows:
(505 ILCS 82/5)
Sec. 5. Findings. It is the the intent of this Act to
provide a solid base of State funding for public food and
agricultural research programs in Illinois while fostering
public confidence in this research through public
participation. Blessed with rich agricultural soils and a
favorable agricultural climate, Illinois traditionally ranks
fourth or fifth among the States in the nation's gross
agricultural production. The food and agricultural sector,
employing nearly 20% of the State's workers, is committed to
providing safe, nutritious, high-quality, affordable, and
convenient agricultural products and services to Illinois
citizens. Compared with all other states, however, Illinois
faces a tremendous challenge to meet its needs for ongoing
adequate research investments that improve human health while
protecting and enhancing its natural resources and
environment. Without adequate State funding, the food and
agricultural sector faces the consequences of falling behind in

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information, projects, and programs affecting human lives and
the demand for improved nutrition, food quality, human health,
and environment.
Currently, the State's agricultural universities conduct
research that provides basic information about the structure
and function of food and agricultural systems. Although these
agricultural institutions have a remarkable record of
contributions to an improved food and agricultural sector,
their research is significantly underfunded. The State's
Agricultural Experiment Station, maintained as the food and
agricultural research facilities and program of the University
of Illinois, ranks only 29th in state funding among the state
agricultural experiment stations. Southern Illinois University
at Carbondale, Illinois State University, and Western Illinois
University also conduct food and agricultural research but
receive no State appropriated fund allocations. This
underfunding represents a missed opportunity for Illinois and
places it in poor competitive position with other important
agricultural states. The State's consumers and producers reap
high returns from existing public investment in food and
agricultural research, with a pretax return of 40%, the highest
among publicly supported research activities.
Illinois needs mechanisms that allow publicly supported
researchers to work closely with farmers, agribusiness,
consumers, conservationists, environmentalists, and other key
decision-makers. Together, these groups can identify

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challenges and opportunities for researchers before they
conduct research and transfer the information and technology.
This will allow Illinois to retain its prominence as a leading
agricultural state.
The Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research
(C-FAR) is a statewide coalition committed to funding relevant
and high-quality research and related outreach programs
leading to profitable, consumer-sensitive, and environmentally
sound food and agricultural systems. The intent of this Act is
to secure funds to support targeted research initiatives so
that Illinois will continue to meet tomorrow's food and
agricultural needs while using our natural resources
responsibly.
The General Assembly of Illinois hereby:
(1) Identifies food and agricultural research as a
critically important activity with great public benefits.
(2) Identifies the State's agricultural universities
responsible for basic, developmental, and adaptive
research related to the food and agricultural sector; and
(3) Authorizes the expenditure of State funds to
enlarge, improve, and sustain the publicly supported
programs of food and agricultural research in Illinois.
(Source: P.A. 89-182, eff. 7-19-95.)