SB2432 - Local Food Infrastructure Grant Act

• Department of Agriculture shall develop and administer an annual grant program to enhance local food processing, aggregation, and distribution of Illinois agricultural products.

• Eligible applicants include Illinois farms with fewer than 50 employees, cooperatives, processing facilities, food businesses, food hubs, non-profit organizations, and units of local government.

• Grant awards range from $1,000 to $150,000, with 80% of projects requiring a 50% match and 20% designated as "high need" projects requiring only a 0-20% match.

• Funding must be used exclusively for purchasing, leasing, renting, building, or installing infrastructure such as processing equipment, refrigeration units, food hubs, and refrigerated trucks.

• Director must file an annual report by March 1 detailing all grant applications, awards, and economic impact including jobs created and communities served; an independent Steering Committee guides program implementation and evaluation.