2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 305 - PUBLIC AID › 305 ILCS 42/ - Nutrition Outreach and Public Education Act.

(305 ILCS 42/1)
Sec. 1. 
		Short title. 
		This Act may be cited as the Nutrition Outreach
and Public Education Act.
(Source: P.A. 93-555, eff. 1-1-04.)
(305 ILCS 42/5)
Sec. 5. 
		Legislative findings. 
		The General Assembly finds a definite
correlation between proper health and adequate diet and nutrition and hereby
recognizes the importance of federal food and nutrition assistance programs
in minimizing the incidence of hunger and nutrition related health problems
for those who participate in such programs.
The General Assembly also finds that a significant portion of otherwise
eligible residents of Illinois do not participate in existing federal food
assistance programs such as the food stamp program, school lunch and
breakfast programs, child care food programs, summer food programs,
the special supplemental program for women, infants and children, congregate
meal programs, and home-delivered meal programs.  That lack of participation
is, in the General Assembly's view, due predominantly to a lack of adequate
program information as to eligibility and application procedures, a lack of
access to and in many instances availability of benefits under those federal
food assistance programs, and the unavailability of federal funding
specifically for outreach efforts to expand program coverage and
participation among eligible persons.
The General Assembly believes that it is in the interest of the public
health of the economically vulnerable residents of Illinois to establish a
program of community-based nutrition outreach to enroll eligible targeted
populations in federal food and nutrition assistance programs designed for
them and to promote the fuller implementation and utilization of federal
food assistance programs in unserved or underserved areas.
(Source: P.A. 93-555, eff. 1-1-04.)
(305 ILCS 42/10)
Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context requires
otherwise:
"At-risk populations" means populations including but not limited to
families with children receiving aid under Article IV of the Illinois
Public Aid Code, households receiving federal supplemental security income
payments, households with incomes at or below 185%
of the poverty guidelines updated annually in the Federal Register by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services under authority of Section 673(2) of
the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, recipients of emergency food,
elderly persons or persons with disabilities, homeless persons, unemployed persons, and families and
persons residing in rural households who are at risk of nutritional
deficiencies.
"Secretary" means the Secretary of Human Services.
"Food assistance programs" means programs including but not limited
to the food stamp program, school breakfast and lunch programs, child care food
programs, summer food service programs, the special supplemental programs for
women, infants and children, congregate meal programs, and home-delivered meal
programs.
"High-risk area" means any county or urban area where a significant
percentage or number of those potentially eligible for food assistance
programs are not participating in such programs.
(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)
(305 ILCS 42/15)
Sec. 15. 
		Program established. 
		The Department of Human Services shall
establish a nutrition outreach and public education program, to
be administered by that Department in cooperation with the Department on
Aging and the State
Superintendent of Education.  The program shall be established to ensure
maximum participation by eligible persons in federal and State food
assistance programs.  The program shall be structured so as to increase
participation statewide but with particular attention to high-risk areas
with a focus on certain at-risk populations.
(Source: P.A. 93-555, eff. 1-1-04.)
(305 ILCS 42/20)
Sec. 20. 
		Program features. 
		Directly or through contract, the Secretary
shall administer a program of nutrition outreach that shall include but
shall not be limited to the following features:
(1) Statewide coordination.
(2) Coordination of efforts among State and local     agencies, including but not limited to the Department of Human Services, the Department on Aging, the State Superintendent of Education, and community agencies involved in food assistance programs.
(3) Compilation of statistical data from State and     local agencies and dissemination to community organizations.
(4) Provision of information as to the availability     of, eligibility criteria for, and application procedures for food assistance programs.
(5) Nutrition education.
(Source: P.A. 93-555, eff. 1-1-04.)
(305 ILCS 42/25)
Sec. 25. 
		Grants to community organizations. 
		The Secretary shall make
grants from moneys appropriated for that purpose to community-based
organizations or consortia of community-based organizations in high-risk
areas for outreach activities. The outreach activities shall include but
shall not be limited to the following:
(1) Identifying barriers to participation in food     assistance programs, including the unavailability of such programs.
(2) Identifying at-risk populations and individuals     within the at-risk populations who are not participating.
(3) Disseminating information to and conducting     training sessions for local groups.
(4) Disseminating information as to program     availability, individual or household eligibility, and application procedures.
(5) Providing nutrition education for at-risk     populations.
(6) Assisting families and individuals in meeting     eligibility requirements.
(Source: P.A. 93-555, eff. 1-1-04.)
(305 ILCS 42/30)
Sec. 30. 
		Criteria for high-risk areas. 
		In
determining whether a particular geographic area is a high-risk area
and eligible for a grant, the
Secretary may consider factors including but not limited to the following:
(1) Whether 50% or more of those potentially eligible     are not participating in the food stamp program, or whether a significant number of the potentially eligible population, particularly the working poor and the elderly, are not participating.
(2) Whether 25% or more of the children are eligible     for free or reduced-price meals in the school lunch program.
(3) Infant mortality or morbidity rates.
(4) Economic indicators including but not limited to     the unemployment rate, prevailing wages, and recent loss of job base.
(5) A high concentration of at-risk populations.
(6) The unavailability of food assistance programs in     the area because of lack of provider participation or lack of knowledge about the existence of such programs.
(Source: P.A. 93-555, eff. 1-1-04.)
(305 ILCS 42/35)
Sec. 35. 
		Reports. 
		The Secretary shall report on or before January 1 of
each year to the Governor and the General Assembly concerning the
implementation of this Act. The report shall include information as to
community organizations funded through grants, the effects of the nutrition
outreach and public education program on
participation in food assistance programs, and recommendations regarding
expansion of the nutrition outreach and public education program.
(Source: P.A. 93-555, eff. 1-1-04.)
(305 ILCS 42/40)
Sec. 40. 
		Performance contingent on funding. 
		The performance of
activities
required by this Act is contingent on the appropriation of funds for the
purpose of
nutrition outreach and public education.
(Source: P.A. 93-555, eff. 1-1-04.)