republic-os/legislation/us/states/il/93rd/hb-264.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "AGRICULTR-PRODUCER PROTECT ACT"
description: "Creates the Agriculture Producer Protection Act. Requires agriculture production contracts to contain certain disclosures, meet readability guidelines, and include a summary sheet. Provides that the Director of Agriculture may review an agriculture production contract for compliance with the contract form and content requirements of the Act. Provides that provisions stating that information contained within an agricultural contract is confidential shall not prevent a producer from discussing all contract terms and details with specified persons. Places restrictions on a contractor's unilateral termination of certain contracts. Provides that it is unlawful for any contractor to interfere with the exercise of certain rights granted under the Act and establishes other unfair practices under the Act. Provides that any provision requiring the application of the law of any state other than Illinois, requiring any action to be filed in a state other than Illinois, or waiving a right or obligation under the Act, is void. Provides that the Attorney General shall enforce the Act by actions in the circuit court for equitable and monetary relief, including injunctive relief and criminal and civil fines and penalties. Provides a private cause of action to any producer aggrieved by a violation of the Act and includes as remedies contract reformation and other equitable relief for the purpose of avoiding unjust enrichment. Amends the Freedom of Information Act to exempt production contracts submitted for review to the Director of Agriculture under the Agriculture Producer Protection Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture must adopt rules implementing the Agriculture Producer Protection Act not later than January 1, 2004 and gives this and the effective date provision an immediate effective date. Provides that the remainder of the Act takes effect on January 1, 2004."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "93rd"
identifier: "HB 264"
citation: "Illinois HB 264 (93rd)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 41
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2003-01-23"
last_action: "2003-08-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e9693d9f-2cdd-4a4f-96f6-cf977e3a1f31"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=264&GAID=3&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=581&SessionID=3&GA=93"
source_hash: "489e901245d7f3f9214d9db22ca403e490072c3acbaab04c618fae6195799f25"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois HB 264 (93rd) — AGRICULTR-PRODUCER PROTECT ACT

Creates the Agriculture Producer Protection Act. Requires agriculture production contracts to contain certain disclosures, meet readability guidelines, and include a summary sheet. Provides that the Director of Agriculture may review an agriculture production contract for compliance with the contract form and content requirements of the Act. Provides that provisions stating that information contained within an agricultural contract is confidential shall not prevent a producer from discussing all contract terms and details with specified persons. Places restrictions on a contractor's unilateral termination of certain contracts. Provides that it is unlawful for any contractor to interfere with the exercise of certain rights granted under the Act and establishes other unfair practices under the Act. Provides that any provision requiring the application of the law of any state other than Illinois, requiring any action to be filed in a state other than Illinois, or waiving a right or obligation under the Act, is void. Provides that the Attorney General shall enforce the Act by actions in the circuit court for equitable and monetary relief, including injunctive relief and criminal and civil fines and penalties. Provides a private cause of action to any producer aggrieved by a violation of the Act and includes as remedies contract reformation and other equitable relief for the purpose of avoiding unjust enrichment. Amends the Freedom of Information Act to exempt production contracts submitted for review to the Director of Agriculture under the Agriculture Producer Protection Act. Provides that the Department of Agriculture must adopt rules implementing the Agriculture Producer Protection Act not later than January 1, 2004 and gives this and the effective date provision an immediate effective date. Provides that the remainder of the Act takes effect on January 1, 2004.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300HB0264&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=581&DocNum=264&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300HB0264eng&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=581&DocNum=264&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300HB0264enr&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=581&DocNum=264&GAID=3&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **115–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **59–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Dale E. Risinger — cosponsor (person)
- Frank J. Mautino — primary (person)
- Patrick Welch — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2003-01-23** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Frank J. Mautino `filing`
- **2003-01-23** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2003-01-23** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2003-01-29** Assigned to Judiciary I - Civil Law Committee `referral-committee`
- **2003-02-27** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Dave Winters
- **2003-02-27** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. John A. Fritchey
- **2003-02-28** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Judiciary I - Civil Law Committee `amendment-introduction`
- **2003-02-28** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Judiciary I - Civil Law Committee; by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2003-02-28** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Judiciary I - Civil Law Committee; 018-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2003-02-28** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2003-03-05** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2003-03-05** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2003-03-18** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 115-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2003-03-18** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2003-03-18** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading March 19, 2003 `reading-1`
- **2003-03-18** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. John O. Jones
- **2003-03-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2003-03-19** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2003-03-20** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Lawrence M. Walsh
- **2003-03-20** Sponsor Removed Sen. Lawrence M. Walsh
- **2003-04-09** Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. Lawrence M. Walsh
- **2003-04-09** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. John O. Jones
- **2003-04-16** Assigned to Agriculture & Conservation `referral-committee`
- **2003-04-30** Do Pass Agriculture & Conservation; 008-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2003-04-30** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 1, 2003
- **2003-05-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Secretary by Sen. Lawrence M. Walsh `amendment-introduction`
- **2003-05-02** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2003-05-07** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Agriculture & Conservation
- **2003-05-08** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Postponed - Agriculture & Conservation
- **2003-05-08** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Dale E. Risinger
- **2003-05-15** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2003-05-15** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 16, 2003
- **2003-05-16** Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Patrick Welch
- **2003-05-16** Third Reading - Passed; 059-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2003-05-16** Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 Tabled Pursuant to Rule 5-4(a) `amendment-failure`
- **2003-05-16** Passed Both Houses
- **2003-05-22** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. John M. Sullivan
- **2003-06-13** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2003-08-12** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2003-08-12** Effective Date January 1, 2005
- **2003-08-12** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 93-0522 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e9693d9f-2cdd-4a4f-96f6-cf977e3a1f31`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).