Section 505 ILCS 92/20 - Program administration(a) The grant administrator shall create an independent Local Food Infrastructure Steering Committee to guide the implementation and evaluation of the grant program created by this Act. The Steering Committee shall be composed of, at a minimum, the following members: at least 3 farmers, including one specialty crop farmer, one livestock farmer, and one farmer of color; one representative from the local food processing industry; one representative from a nonprofit organization serving farmers of color; one representative from a nonprofit organization serving farmers at large; and one representative from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance Local Food Farmer Caucus so long as the Caucus exists.(b) The Steering Committee's responsibilities shall include advising the Department and any other grant administrator on the following matters: (1) application requirements and terms of grant agreements;(2) grant criteria and preferences, including additional criteria and preferences to be adopted by the Department by rule;(3) the meaning of the term "collaborative project" to be codified in Department rules;(4) grant review and selection;(5) project reporting requirements for funded projects; and(6) evaluation of program success and adjustment of criteria, requirements, preferences, program implementation, and other elements of the grant program as needed to ensure that the grant program meets its intended purpose and complies with this Act.(c) An applicant for grant funding under this Act must, at a minimum, be an Illinois resident, as defined by Department rule, and provide the names, addresses, and occupations of all project owners, the project address, relevant credit and financial information (including, but not limited to, assets and liabilities), and any other information deemed necessary by the grant administrator for review of the grant application. A grant award is subject to modification or alteration under the condition that the grant award is subject to any modifications that may be required by changes in State law or rules. The Department shall provide written notice to the recipient or, if subcontracting with another grant administrator, the other grant administrator of any amendment to the Act or rules adopted under the Act and the effective date of those amendments.(d) The grant administrator, in reviewing the applications, must consider, but is not limited to considering, the following criteria: (1) whether the project has a reasonable assurance of increasing the availability and accessibility of Illinois agricultural products among Illinois communities;(2) whether there is an adequate and realistic budget projection; and(3) whether the application meets the eligibility requirements and the project costs are eligible under this Act.(e) Preference for grants shall be given to the following types of proposals: (1) proposals that have established favorable community support;(2) proposals that increase the availability of Illinois agricultural products to underserved communities in Illinois;(3) proposals that positively impact underserved farmers in Illinois;(4) proposals from established farmers and food businesses;(5) proposals that facilitate long-term economic development in the local food sector;(6) proposals that demonstrate comparable investments by the anticipated recipient;(7) proposals for high need projects; and(8) proposals that are submitted by small and very small farms and food businesses.Added by P.A. 103-0772,§ 20, eff. 8/2/2024.