DCEO-HYDROPONIC GRANT PROGRAM

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB3972

Select Language

×

The Illinois General Assembly offers the Google Translate™ service for visitor convenience. In no way should it be considered accurate as to the translation of any content herein.

Visitors of the Illinois General Assembly website are encouraged to use other translation services available on the internet.

The English language version is always the official and authoritative version of this website.

NOTE: To return to the original English language version, select the "Show Original" button on the Google Translate™ menu bar at the top of the window.

Choose Language

English

Afrikaans

Albanian

Arabic

Armenian

Azerbaijani

Basque

Bengali

Bosnian

Catalan

Croatian

Czech

Danish

Dutch

Esperanto

Estonian

Filipino

Finnish

French

Galician

Georgian

German

Greek

Gujarati

Haitian Creole

Hausa

Hawaiian

Hebrew

Hindi

Hungarian

Icelandic

Indonesian

Interlingua

Interlingue

Inuktitut

Irish

Italian

Japanese

Javanese

Kannada

Khmer

Korean

Latin

Latvian

Lithuanian

Luxembourgish

Macedonian

Malagasy

Malayalam

Maltese

Maori

Marathi

Myanmar

Nepali

Norwegian

Odia

Pashto

Punjabi

Romanian

Russian

Samoan

Sango

Sanskrit

Sardinian

Sindhi

Sinhala

Slovak

Slovenian

Somali

Southern Sotho

Spanish

Sundanese

Swahili

Swedish

Tamil

Telugu

Thai

Tigrinya

Tonga

Turkish

Ukrainian

Urdu

Vietnamese

Welsh

Xhosa

Yiddish

Yoruba

Zulu

Powered by
Translate

Close

Illinois General Assembly

Top Navigation Bar

Translate

Learn

Select General Assembly

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter search terms for legislation, members, committees, or schedules.

ILGA.GOV

LEGISLATION & LAWS

Bills & Resolutions

Public Acts

Illinois Compiled Statutes

Illinois Constitution

Search Legislation

Glossary

Guide

Reports & Inquiry

Legislative Reports

Special Reports

FTP Site

Legislator Lookup

Capitol Complex Phone Numbers

Rules & Regulations

Illinois Register

Administrative Rules

Senate

Members

Schedules

Committees

Request for Remote Testimony

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

Senate Employment Opportunities

Media Guidelines

House

Members

Schedules

Committees

Submit testimony for House Committees

Journals

Transcripts

Rules

Audio/Video

FOIA Information

House Employment Opportunities

Log In

Mobile Top Bar

Search the 104th General Assembly

Enter keywords to search the Illinois General Assembly website.

Full Text of SB3972

Home

Legislation

Full Text

SB3972 - 104th General Assembly

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Select Menu

Bill Status

Full Text

Votes

Witness Slips

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Printer Friendly Version

Introduced

Open PDF

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3972

Introduced 2/6/2026, by Sen. Seth Lewis

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 605/605-1119 new

Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the
Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall, subject to appropriation,
establish the Hydroponic Initiative Grant Program to help increase access
to and the availability of healthy food in areas designated as food deserts
in the State and assist areas with significant levels of vacant developed
commercial space, as determined by the Department, by providing grants to
persons for the establishment of hydroponic agriculture facilities within
vacant developed commercial space. Authorizes the Department of Commerce
and Economic Opportunity to grant awards for market or site feasibility
studies, for purchases of ownership of vacant developed commercial space,
for capital improvements, planning, renovations, durable and non-durable
equipment purchases, or other costs as determined by the Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Allows for rulemaking by the Department
of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Defines terms. Effective
immediately.
LRB104 19006 HLH 32451 b

A BILL FOR

SB3972
LRB104 19006 HLH 32451 b
1

AN ACT concerning State government.

2

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3
represented in the General Assembly:

4

Section 5.
The Department of Commerce and Economic
5
Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois
6
is amended by adding Section 605-1119 as follows:

7

(20 ILCS 605/605-1119 new)
8

Sec. 605-1119.
Hydroponic Initiative Grant Program.
9

(a) As used in this Section:
10

"Food desert" means a census tract that:

11

(A) meets one of the following poverty standards:

12

(i) the census tract has a poverty rate of at least
13

20%;
14

(ii) the census tract is not located within a
15

metropolitan statistical area and has a median family
16

income that is less than or equal to 80% of the
17

statewide median household income; or
18

(iii) the census tract is located within a
19

metropolitan statistical area and has a median family
20

income that is less than or equal to 80% of the greater
21

of (i) the statewide median household income or (ii)
22

the metropolitan area median family income; and

23

(B) meets one of the following population density and

SB3972
- 2 -
LRB104 19006 HLH 32451 b
1

food accessibility standards:

2

(1) the census tract is a rural tract, and at least
3

33% of the population of the tract or at least 500
4

residents in the tract reside more than 10 miles from
5

the nearest grocery store; or
6

(2) the census tract is an urban tract, and at
7

least 33% of the population of the tract, or at least
8

500 residents in the tract, reside more than one-half
9

mile from the nearest grocery store.

10

(C) The Department may also designate an area that
11

does not meet the standards set forth in this definition
12

as a food desert if the designation is made in accordance
13

with criteria established by the Department by rule using
14

data that includes, but is not limited to, poverty metrics
15

and access to existing grocery stores.

16

"Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, or
17
not-for-profit organization.
18

"Rural tract" means a census tract that is not an urban
19
tract.
20

"Urban tract" means a census tract having its geographic
21
centroid in an urban area, as defined by the Bureau of the
22
Census for the most recent year in which all relevant data to
23
identify food deserts is available.
24

"Vacant developed commercial space" means a constructed
25
commercial building or space within a commercial building that
26
has been vacant for at least 6 months immediately preceding

SB3972
- 3 -
LRB104 19006 HLH 32451 b
1
the date of the grant application.

2

(b) The Department shall, subject to appropriation,
3
establish the Hydroponic Initiative Grant Program to help
4
increase access to and the availability of healthy food in
5
areas designated as food deserts in the State and assist areas
6
with significant levels of vacant developed commercial space,
7
as determined by the Department. The Department shall provide
8
grants to persons for the establishment of hydroponic
9
agriculture facilities within vacant developed commercial
10
space. The Department may, by rule, establish parameters for
11
the program to determine grant eligibility, including, but not
12
limited to, facility square footage requirements, location
13
requirements, and the type of plants proposed to be produced.
14
The Department may prioritize grant awards based upon poverty
15
rates, geographic diversity, local ownership, access to
16
grocery stores in the area surrounding the proposed facility
17
location, amount of currently vacant developed commercial
18
space near a proposed facility, and other factors as
19
determined by the Department. The Department may award grants
20
for any one or more of the following:

21

(1) market or site feasibility studies;
22

(2) purchase of ownership of vacant developed
23

commercial space;
24

(3) capital improvements, planning, renovations,
25

durable and non-durable equipment purchases; and
26

(4) other costs as determined by the Department.

SB3972
- 4 -
LRB104 19006 HLH 32451 b
1

(c) Grant awards under the Hydroponic Initiative Grant
2
Program shall not exceed $1,000,000 per applicant or 25% of
3
the total project cost, whichever is less.
4

(d) The Department shall adopt rules to implement and
5
administer this Section.

6

Section 99.
Effective date.
This Act takes effect upon
7
becoming law.

Footer

Disclaimer

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.

Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn

This site is maintained for the Illinois General Assembly by the
Legislative Information System, 705 Stratton Building, Springfield, Illinois 62706.
Contact ILGA Webmaster

ILGA.gov uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse ILGA.gov you consent to our use of cookies.
Read About Cookies

ILGA.GOV

2026 ILGA.gov | All Rights Reserved |
ADA

|
Disclaimers
|
Learn