Harper Bills Advance Bold Agenda Focused on Equity, Sustainability

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Following the first half of the 2023 legislative session, state Rep. Sonya M. Harper, D-Chicago, has successfully passed an ambitious package of bills aimed at improving healthy food access, economic and social equity and environmental sustainability.

“Supporting access to healthy food and the sustainability of our state’s food economy are vital if we are going to continue moving Illinois forward for everyone,” Harper said. “Making sure that we do so in a manner that respects the needs of every community, especially our most vulnerable, is just as important.”

Harper passed eight bills, which now move to the Senate for debate and approval:

• House Bill 2214 — Allows the state to reimburse SNAP recipients who have been victims of card skimming and tracks incidents of fraud;
• House Bill 2557 — The Farmer Equity and Innovation Act. Creates a program designed to help keep small and mid-sized farms competitive;
• House Bill 2879 — Creates the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program, which aims to help food banks source healthy produce directly from Illinois farms and food producers;
• House Bill 3086 — Raises some pesticide registration fees and uses the money to aid pesticide safety education;
• House Bill 3087 — Gives the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture more authority to prevent the transportation and sale of affected animals during a livestock-related epidemic, in response to last year’s avian flu outbreak;
• House Bill 3556 – Provides land access, assistance and training for farmers that have been historically underserved and affected by discrimination and inequality;
• House Bill 3557 — Aims to increase the proportion of food procured by state agencies that is sourced from socially and economically disadvantaged farmers;
• House Bill 3814 — Removes a major barrier to youth participation in agricultural education programs by preventing them from being marked absent from school while doing so.

Harper’s office is reachable at 773-925-6580 or repsonyaharper@gmail.com.