Press Release: Proposed Legislation Will Help Address Food Insecurity in Illinois

Media Contact: Walter Willis, wwillis@swalco.org (847) 377-4951

GURNEE, Ill.—The impending loss of SNAP benefits for nearly 2 million people in Illinois this coming Saturday, November 1st, shines a spotlight on the need for robust food rescue programs that get edible food to people rather than landfills. Senate Bill 1398, introduced in 2025 by Senator Adriane Johnson of Illinois' 30th District, helps address food insecurity while also addressing the problems of at-capacity landfills and climate change. Senate Bill 1398 is similar to laws in 11 other States that require grocery stores, restaurants, and other large generators of food to divert the food from landfills, with the top priority being food donation. These other laws have proven effective in increasing food donations, with New York's law increasing food donations by 60 percent and California's law resulting in the recovery of 400 million pounds of surplus food in 2023.

With Illinois recently joining a lawsuit to prevent the loss of SNAP benefits right before the upcoming holidays, the topic of food security and how that intersects with food waste is center stage. In Illinois, we throw away 4.6 billion meals every year. In 2023 alone, this food had a value of $17.6 billion. “Given that 1 out of 8 Illinoisans is food insecure, 1 in 7 receive SNAP benefits and 1 in 6 children is food insecure, continuing to throw edible food in a landfill makes no sense,” says Senator Adriane Johnson. “The current SNAP benefit issue is the canary in the coal mine - if we continue to be as wasteful as we have been with food, we will face more and more problems like this in the future. We have an opportunity right now in Illinois with Senate Bill 1398 to create new systems that reduce food waste and protect the health of both the people and the economy of Illinois in the future.”

Feed & Conserve Illinois was created early this year to support Senate Bill 1398 with these three simple goals: feed people, feed animals, and compost food scraps. “When we divert edible food from landfills—reducing dangerous gases like methane that drive climate change—it’s a win-win-win-win for people, animals, the environment and our economy,” adds Senator Johnson.

The Feed & Conserve IL movement has amassed over 50 organizations in its coalition in less than a year and works with a variety of partners, including food recovery groups, food waste haulers, environmental organizations, and compost facilities. Jake Tepperman, the executive director and founder of the nonprofit Chicago Food Rescue, talks about what they typically rescue that would otherwise be sent to a landfill: “A lot of it is produce or prepared food...grab-and-go sandwiches or trays of food from a cafeteria. Grocery stores will often have meat and dairy to donate.” One of the local nonprofits that Tepperman works with is Healthy Hood, located in Pilsen. As we grow the Feed & Conserve IL movement, projects like Chicago Food Rescue will pop up all over the state.

“Senate Bill 1398 will help us address our food recovery issues, make Illinois more resilient and less reliant on federal assistance, and help us shore up our resources in a time of uncertainty. This is the right thing to do, across the board," says Senator Johnson. “People just need to know about it. I encourage individuals and organizations to join the Feed & Conserve Illinois movement to help get Senate Bill 1398 enacted into law in 2026.”