SMALL FARMERS RESTORATION PRGM
HB3067 creates the Small Farmer Restoration Program Act and establishes a state program in the Department of Agriculture to support socially disadvantaged farmers, limited resource farmers, and beginning farmers in Illinois. The bill creates the Small Farmer Restoration Program Fund in the State treasury and directs that program money be used for agricultural conservation easement grants, technical assistance grants, Department-provided technical assistance, and administrative costs. It also defines key terms such as socially disadvantaged farmer, qualified farmland, qualified easement holder, and eligible individual, and sets out how the Department may award and prioritize grants.
The program is designed to help eligible farmers access and retain farmland while also advancing conservation goals. The Department must create a scoring process that prioritizes applications benefiting socially disadvantaged farmers, limited resource farmers, eligible individuals with a history of land dispossession, and new and beginning farmers. The bill also creates a Farm Conservation Corps for young residents from socially disadvantaged groups, requires data collection and public reporting on farm assistance and farmworker conditions, and directs research on land ownership, lending, census accuracy, corporate land investment, and barriers to land access. The Department must adopt implementing rules by December 31, 2026, and the act amends the State Finance Act to add the new fund.
HB3067 would add a new state grant and research program within the Illinois Department of Agriculture and create a dedicated special fund for it. It would affect state budgeting and administration by authorizing grants for conservation easements and technical assistance, limiting administrative and technical assistance spending to no more than 10% of available funds, and requiring the Department to establish application, scoring, reporting, and rulemaking procedures. The bill also would influence farmland conservation and access policies by prioritizing certain farmers and projects, while preserving the ability to build or maintain a primary residence or farmworker housing unless the easement deed says otherwise.
The available voting history suggests the bill had meaningful support but also notable opposition in the House. It passed Third Reading on April 10, 2025, by a 71-38 vote, indicating a clear majority in favor but not broad bipartisan consensus. No committee transcript is available, so the record here shows support for the bill’s goals of helping disadvantaged farmers and conserving farmland, alongside enough concern to generate a substantial minority of no votes.
The main points of contention likely center on the bill’s targeted benefits and the state’s role in directing agricultural resources. Supporters appear to favor the focus on socially disadvantaged farmers, land access, conservation easements, and workforce development through the Farm Conservation Corps. Potential critics may object to race- and gender-conscious definitions and reporting, the prioritization framework for grants, the creation of a new state fund and program, or the administrative and fiscal obligations placed on the Department of Agriculture. The bill’s research requirements on corporate land ownership, farm subsidies, and farmworker demographics may also be viewed as controversial by some stakeholders.