|
| | 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB2298 Introduced 2/15/2013, by Sen. Wm. Sam McCann SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
| | |
Amends the Food and Agriculture Research Act. Makes a technical change in a
Section concerning the legislative purposes of the Act.
|
| |
| | A BILL FOR |
|
|
| | SB2298 | | LRB098 09126 MLW 39264 b |
|
|
1 | | AN ACT concerning agriculture.
|
2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, |
3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
|
4 | | Section 5. The Food and Agriculture Research Act is amended |
5 | | by changing Section 5 as follows:
|
6 | | (505 ILCS 82/5)
|
7 | | Sec. 5. Findings. It is the
the intent of this Act to |
8 | | provide a solid base
of State funding for public food and |
9 | | agricultural research programs in
Illinois while fostering |
10 | | public confidence in this research through public
|
11 | | participation. Blessed with rich agricultural soils and a |
12 | | favorable
agricultural
climate, Illinois traditionally ranks |
13 | | fourth or fifth among the States in the
nation's gross |
14 | | agricultural production. The food and agricultural sector,
|
15 | | employing nearly 20% of the State's workers, is committed to |
16 | | providing safe,
nutritious, high-quality, affordable, and |
17 | | convenient agricultural products and
services to Illinois |
18 | | citizens. Compared with all other states, however,
Illinois |
19 | | faces a tremendous challenge to meet its needs for ongoing |
20 | | adequate
research investments that improve human health while |
21 | | protecting and enhancing
its natural resources and |
22 | | environment. Without adequate State funding, the
food and |
23 | | agricultural sector faces the consequences of falling behind in
|
|
| | SB2298 | - 2 - | LRB098 09126 MLW 39264 b |
|
|
1 | | information, projects, and programs affecting human lives and |
2 | | the demand for
improved nutrition, food quality, human health, |
3 | | and environment. |
4 | | Currently, the State's agricultural universities conduct |
5 | | research that
provides basic information about the structure |
6 | | and function of food and
agricultural systems. Although these |
7 | | agricultural institutions have a
remarkable record of |
8 | | contributions to an improved food and agricultural sector,
|
9 | | their research is significantly underfunded. The State's |
10 | | Agricultural
Experiment Station, maintained as the food and |
11 | | agricultural research facilities
and program of the University |
12 | | of Illinois, ranks only 29th in state funding
among the state |
13 | | agricultural experiment stations. Southern Illinois University
|
14 | | at Carbondale, Illinois State University, and Western Illinois |
15 | | University also
conduct food and agricultural research but |
16 | | receive no State appropriated fund
allocations. This |
17 | | underfunding represents a missed opportunity for Illinois
and |
18 | | places it in poor competitive position with other important |
19 | | agricultural
states. The State's consumers and producers reap |
20 | | high returns from existing
public investment in food and |
21 | | agricultural research, with a pretax return of
40%, the highest |
22 | | among publicly supported research activities.
|
23 | | Illinois needs mechanisms that allow publicly supported |
24 | | researchers to work
closely with farmers, agribusiness, |
25 | | consumers, conservationists,
environmentalists, and other key |
26 | | decision-makers. Together, these groups can
identify |
|
| | SB2298 | - 3 - | LRB098 09126 MLW 39264 b |
|
|
1 | | challenges and opportunities for researchers before they |
2 | | conduct
research and transfer the information and technology. |
3 | | This will allow Illinois
to retain its prominence as a leading |
4 | | agricultural state.
|
5 | | The Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research |
6 | | (C-FAR) is a statewide
coalition committed to funding relevant |
7 | | and high-quality research and related
outreach
programs |
8 | | leading to profitable, consumer-sensitive, and environmentally |
9 | | sound
food and agricultural systems. The intent of this Act is |
10 | | to secure funds to
support targeted research initiatives so |
11 | | that Illinois will continue to meet
tomorrow's food and |
12 | | agricultural needs while using our natural resources
|
13 | | responsibly.
|
14 | | The General Assembly of Illinois hereby:
|
15 | | (1) Identifies food and agricultural research as a |
16 | | critically important
activity with great public benefits.
|
17 | | (2) Identifies the State's agricultural universities |
18 | | responsible for
basic,
developmental, and adaptive |
19 | | research related to the food and agricultural
sector; and
|
20 | | (3) Authorizes the expenditure of State funds to |
21 | | enlarge, improve, and
sustain the publicly supported |
22 | | programs of food and agricultural research in
Illinois.
|
23 | | (Source: P.A. 89-182, eff. 7-19-95.)
|