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HB 3701

LOCAL FOOD-GOOD FOOD PROGRAM

104th Regular Session Introduced by Carol Ammons and 15 co-sponsors

Establishes the Good Food Purchasing Law to shift state procurement toward local, small/mid suppliers with equity, labor and animal welfare rules, and public transparency.

House Floor Amendment No. 1 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 3701

Summary — HB 3701 (Good Food Purchasing Act / Local Food–Good Food Program)

Status and procedural notes
- Introduced in the 104th General Assembly (first reading 2/18/2025). A House Floor Amendment (Amendment 001) was filed by Rep. Sonya M. Harper on 4/4/2025 and replaces the bill text after the enacting clause. The bill was re‑referred to the Rules Committee under Rule 19(c) (4/11/2025), placed on the General State Calendar (4/29/2025), and has passed through committee hearings and report stages (Agriculture & Conservation; Higher Education). SB 1468 is a companion measure in the Senate.
- Sponsors include Rep. Sonya M. Harper (primary) and multiple co‑sponsors (see bill record).

Purpose and intent
HB 3701 establishes a “Good Food Purchasing” policy framework for State food procurement and rebrands related law as the Good Food Purchasing Law / Local Food–Good Food Program. The intent is to align public food purchasing with social, economic, labor, animal‑welfare, nutritional, local‑economy, and environmental goals.

Key provisions
1. Definitions and core values
- Establishes “Good food purchasing core values” to guide procurement: prioritizing local/small/mid‑sized suppliers; pathways for community‑based suppliers; prioritizing entrepreneurs of color and communities affected by historic marginalization; community partnership and culturally relevant menus; environmental sustainability (reduced pesticides, improved soil health, reduced GHGs, reduced single‑use plastics); labor standards; animal welfare; and nutrition (whole/minimally processed, culturally relevant foods).
- Defines “minimally processed foods” and sets examples (fresh/frozen produce, whole grains, whole cuts of meat, pasteurized dairy, legumes, nuts/seeds).

  1. Local sourcing thresholds

    • Prioritizes in‑state suppliers when feasible. If not feasible, defines “local” by mileage radii (text in amendment indicates different radii for food categories—intended: smaller radius for non‑meat products and larger radius for meat/poultry/seafood; amendment uses 250‑ and 500‑mile thresholds).

  2. Equity, transparency, and accountability

    • Requires development of supplier diversification and accountability plans with measurable goals; data collection and public reporting, including disaggregation by demographic groups (race, gender); public sharing of purchasing data, targets, and implementation plans; and vendor data‑sharing to facilitate transparency and community engagement.

  3. Institutional procurement changes

    • Amends the Illinois Procurement Code to require that, for certain food contracts by or on behalf of public institutions of higher education (and other state agencies/facilities), chief procurement officers consider Good Food Purchasing core values and the equity/transparency/accountability framework.
    • Requires each State agency and State‑owned facility to develop multi‑year action plans with benchmarks to align food purchasing with the Good Food Purchasing principles.

  4. Task Force

    • Reestablishes the Good Food Purchasing Task Force (previously created by House Joint Resolution 33) to study current state procurement practices, distribute surveys to state institutions (including correctional facilities, institutions for persons with disabilities, and public higher‑ed), and propose implementation pathways.

  5. Other changes

    • Amends the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act to make changes related to food packaging and labeling claims (e.g., use of “Illinois‑grown” / “Illinois‑sourced” / “Illinois farm product”) — details truncated in amendment text.

Who is affected
- State agencies, State‑owned facilities, and public institutions of higher education (their procurement offices and contractors).
- Local farms, small and mid‑sized food businesses, community‑based and minority‑owned suppliers, food manufacturers, and distributors.
- Food service contractors, cafeteria and meal program operators, and institutional food service workers.
- Consumers served by public institutions (students, residents of state facilities).
- Suppliers subject to enhanced reporting, labor, animal‑welfare, and environmental expectations.

Potential impact
- May increase procurement preference and market access for in‑state, small, and community‑based suppliers and entrepreneurs of color.
- Could shift institutional menus toward minimally processed, plant‑forward, culturally relevant foods and encourage sustainable production practices.
- Introduces new reporting and accountability requirements for procurement; potential administrative and compliance costs for institutions and suppliers.
- Incorporates labor and animal‑welfare expectations into procurement criteria, which could change vendor eligibility and contract terms.

Next steps / timeline aspects
- The bill (as amended) moved through committee hearings in March–April 2025, was reported out as substituted, and is on the legislative calendar pending further floor action after re‑referral to Rules.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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