Illinois Chapter 20 Executive Branch

20 ILCS 660/      Family Farm Assistance Act.
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    (20 ILCS 660/1) (from Ch. 5, par. 2701)
    Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Family Farm Assistance Act.
(Source: P.A. 87‑170.)

    (20 ILCS 660/5) (from Ch. 5, par. 2705)
    Sec. 5. Statement of findings. The General Assembly finds that:
    (a) Illinois' rural economy suffers from serious stagnation which poses a real threat to farm families.
    (b) Illinois has continued to suffer increased out‑migration from rural communities and its farms.
    (c) Farmers' incomes are not keeping pace with expenses.
    (d) Farmers have a serious debt problem.
    (e) Some farm families will continue to suffer financially.
    (f) There is a need to work with the entire farm family to assess their needs.
(Source: P.A. 87‑170.)

    (20 ILCS 660/15) (from Ch. 5, par. 2715)
    Sec. 15. Definitions. In this Act:
    "Department" means the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
    "Director" means the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
    "Eligible farmer" means a person who is a resident of Illinois and has had more than $40,000 in gross sales of agricultural products during any one of the preceding 5 calendar years, and at that time owned or leased 60 acres or more of land used as a "farm" as that term is defined in Section 1‑60 of the Property Tax Code.
    "Farm family" means the eligible person, his or her legal spouse, and the eligible person's dependent children under the age of 19.
    "Farm Worker" means an individual (including migrant and seasonal farm workers) who has worked on a farm on a full‑time basis for at least one year and has been laid off due to reduced farm income.
    "Program" means the Farm Family Assistance Program established under this Act.
(Source: P.A. 94‑793, eff. 5‑19‑06.)

    (20 ILCS 660/20) (from Ch. 5, par. 2720)
    Sec. 20. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to assist eligible farmers, farm families and farm workers who are dislocated from their farms due to farm closings or layoffs caused by business slowdown or failure.
    Additionally, this Act is to assist farmers to enhance their business related skills to avoid future farm failures. The Department shall coordinate services in order that eligible farmers, farm families and farm workers may receive retraining and reemployment services, such as outreach, counseling, vocational assessment, classroom training, on‑the‑job training, job search assistance, placement, supportive services and follow‑up. These services are to assist eligible farmers so that they may remain in farming or find other employment if farming is no longer an option.
(Source: P.A. 87‑170.)

    (20 ILCS 660/25) (from Ch. 5, par. 2725)
    Sec. 25. Powers; duties. The Department has the following powers and duties:
    (a) The Department shall establish and coordinate a Farm Family Assistance Program.
    (b) The Department shall establish guidelines to identify farmers, farm families, and farm workers who are eligible for the program.
    (c) The Department shall identify and assess the needs of eligible farmers, farm families, and farm workers and shall coordinate or provide reemployment services such as outreach, counseling, vocational assessment, classroom training, on‑the‑job training, job search assistance, placement, supportive services, and follow‑up, so that the farmers may remain in farming or find other employment if farming is no longer an option.
    (d) The Department may adopt, amend, or repeal such rules and regulations as may be necessary to administer this Act.
(Source: P.A. 87‑170.)