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| Public Act 097-0879 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning agriculture.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Food and Agriculture Research Act is amended | ||||
by changing Sections 15, 20, and 25 as follows:
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(505 ILCS 82/15)
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Sec. 15. Allocation of funds. Appropriations for the | ||||
purposes of this
Act shall be made to the Illinois Department | ||||
of Agriculture, which shall
allocate funds appropriated under | ||||
this Act for research to Illinois public and non-public | ||||
institutions of higher education, as defined in Section 2 of | ||||
the Higher Education Cooperation Act, as established by the | ||||
Board of Directors of the Illinois Council on Food and | ||||
Agricultural Research, which is a non-profit, non-political | ||||
organization. The Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural | ||||
Research shall prepare and deliver to the General Assembly, | ||||
Governor, Director of Agriculture, and the food and | ||||
agricultural research administrators at each of the public and | ||||
non-public institutions of higher learning that receive | ||||
research dollars under this Act an annual report providing a | ||||
summary and detailed account of the research programs being | ||||
supported. the following entities providing
each the pro rata | ||||
share indicated: the Illinois Agricultural Experiment
Station, | ||||
82%; Southern Illinois University College of Agriculture, 11%;
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Illinois State University Department of Agriculture, 4%; | ||
Western Illinois
University Department of Agriculture, 3%. | ||
Three years after the effective date
of this Act and every 3 | ||
years thereafter, the Director of Agriculture shall
review | ||
these percentages, ascertain their appropriateness, and report | ||
to the
General Assembly.
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To offset the cost of administering the appropriation, the | ||
Department of
Agriculture may retain $50,000 or 1/2 of 1% of | ||
the total appropriation,
whichever is less.
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To offset the cost of members of C-FAR incurred while | ||
performing their
duties as official group representatives, up | ||
to 1% of the funds appropriated
for the
purposes of this Act | ||
may be allocated by the Department of Agriculture to
cover | ||
these expenses.
Members shall serve without compensation, but | ||
shall be reimbursed for ordinary
and necessary expenses | ||
incurred in the performance of their duties. The
reimbursement | ||
rates shall not exceed those rates that apply to State
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employees.
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(Source: P.A. 89-182, eff. 7-19-95; 90-94, eff. 1-1-98.)
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(505 ILCS 82/20)
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Sec. 20. Use of funds. The universities receiving funds | ||
under this
Act shall work closely with the Illinois Council on | ||
Food and
Agricultural Research to develop and prioritize an
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appropriate research agenda for the State system. To support | ||
that agenda,
funds shall be expended as follows:
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(1) To support a broad program of food and agricultural | ||
research, to
include, but not limited to, research on | ||
natural resource, environmental,
economic, nutritional, | ||
and social impacts of agricultural systems, human and
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animal health, and the concerns of consumers of food and | ||
agricultural products
and services.
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(2) To build and maintain research capacity including | ||
construction,
renovation, and maintenance of physical | ||
facilities; acquire and maintain
equipment; employ | ||
appropriately trained and qualified personnel; provide
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supplies; and meet the expenses required to conduct the | ||
research and related
technology transfer activities.
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(3) To A minimum of 15% of the funds allocated to each | ||
university shall be
used to fund an innovative competitive | ||
grants program administered by the Department of | ||
Agriculture within the guidelines and procedures | ||
established by the Illinois Council on Food and | ||
Agricultural Research jointly by
the 4 institutions | ||
identified in Section 15. The grants program is intended to
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be organized around desired practical, quantifiable, and | ||
achievable objectives
in the food and agricultural sector. | ||
The Board of Directors of the Illinois Council on Food and
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Agricultural Research shall evaluate and recommend assist | ||
in evaluating and selecting the proposals
for funding. | ||
Proposals may be submitted by any nonprofit institution,
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organization, or agency in Illinois. The principal | ||
investigator must be
a qualified researcher with | ||
experience in a food and agriculture related
discipline. | ||
Funds from other sources (both public and private) may be | ||
combined
with funds appropriated for this Act to support | ||
cooperative efforts.
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(4) It is intended that the universities that receive these | ||
funds shall
continue (i) to operate and maintain the on-campus | ||
buildings and facilities
used in their agriculture related | ||
programs and provide the support services
typically provided | ||
other university programs, and (ii) to fund agricultural
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programs from the higher education budget.
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(Source: P.A. 92-16, eff. 6-28-01.)
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(505 ILCS 82/25)
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Sec. 25. Administrative oversight. | ||
(a) The Department of Agriculture shall
provide general | ||
administrative oversight with the assistance and advice of
duly | ||
elected Board of Directors appointed representatives of the | ||
Illinois Council on Food and
Agricultural Research. Food and | ||
agricultural research administrators at each
of the
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universities shall administer the specifics of the funded | ||
research programs program. Annually the Illinois Council on | ||
Food and Agricultural Research
these administrators shall | ||
prepare a combined proposed budget for the research that the | ||
Director
of Agriculture shall submit to the Governor for | ||
inclusion in the Executive
budget and consideration by the | ||
General Assembly. The budget shall specify
major categories of | ||
proposed expenditures, including salary, wages, and fringe
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benefits; operation and maintenance; supplies and expenses; | ||
and capital
improvements.
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(b) The Department, with the assistance of the Illinois | ||
Council on Food and Agricultural Research, may seek additional | ||
grants and donations for research. Additional funds shall be | ||
used in conjunction with appropriated funds for research. All | ||
additional grants and donations for research shall be deposited | ||
into the Food and Agricultural Research Fund, a special fund | ||
created in the State treasury, and used as provided in this | ||
Act. | ||
(Source: P.A. 89-182, eff. 7-19-95.)
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Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding | ||
Section 5.811 as follows: | ||
(30 ILCS 105/5.811 new) | ||
Sec. 5.811. The Food and Agricultural Research Fund.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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