Update: Governor Rauner Signs SNAP Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund Bill
On January 20th, 2017 Gov. Rauner signed into law SB 1367, House Amendment 1, the SNAP Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund bill. The bill supports Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants in purchasing more fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets by increasing access to double-value coupon programs across Illinois. We thank the Illinois legislature and the Governor for supporting this important program in Illinois.
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UPDATE 2: The Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund bill has passed the House and the Senate! Now it will go to the Governor for him to sign.
UPDATE: The Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund bill is back in action as House Amendment 1 to SB 1367! The bill will be heard in the House Appropriations- Human Services committee on Tuesday, Nov. 29th at 1:30pm. If it passes, the bill will proceed to be voted on by the full House and then on to the Senate. The amendment includes the Governor’s amendatory veto changes but extends the deadline for the program to 2019, making it a more viable amendment.
Ask your legislator to vote “yes” on SB 1367, House Amendment 1!
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On Thursday, November 17, the Illinois General Assembly’s website was updated to show that HB 6027, the Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund proposal had failed to reach concurrence with the legislature. Passed without opposition through the Illinois House and Senate in May, the bill would have provided $1 million to a Healthy Local Foods Incentive Fund to support Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants in accessing double-value coupon programs (DVCP) at farmers markets across the state. DVCPs double the purchasing power of SNAP users for fresh fruits and vegetables at markets.
Over the summer, Governor Rauner sent an amendatory veto of the bill, lowering the amount of funding to $500,000 and changing the intent of the funds to only support the double-value coupon itself, and none of the program operation, education and outreach that it requires. The bill was moved for concurrence earlier this week by its sponsor, Rep. Tryon, but did not make it out of the Rules Committee. The bill has died.
The IAPO SNAP advocacy committee will continue to meet and make plans for the re-introduction of the bill in the spring of 2017.
