I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3652 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a food waste research 
and technical assistance program and grant program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 1, 2021 
Mrs. AXNE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a food 
waste research and technical assistance program and 
grant program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Food Waste 
Reduction Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FOOD WASTE RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Food Loss and Waste 
Reduction Liaison of the Department of Agriculture (in 
this section referred to as the ‘‘Liaison’’) shall establish 
a partnership with 5 regional partner institutions, selected 
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under subsection (c), to carry out a Food Waste Research 
Program (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Program’’). 
(b) FOOD WASTE RESEARCH PROGRAM REQUIRE-
MENTS.— 
(1) DUTIES.—In carrying out the Program, the 
Liaison, in partnership with the 5 regional partner 
institutions selected under subsection (c), shall— 
(A) plan, conduct, and arrange for public 
research, data, education, and recommendations 
within the areas of study specified in paragraph 
(2), as such areas relate to food waste reduction 
and food recovery issues nationwide, regionally, 
and locally; 
(B) carry out the activities of the Program 
within a variety of regions in the United States, 
which are identified and categorized by the Li-
aison based on the specific food recovery and 
food waste reduction issues of such regions; 
(C) identify areas to increase efficiency in 
the allocation of resources, coordination, co-
operation, and consolidation of efforts as they 
relate to local, statewide, Tribal, regional, and 
Federal food recovery and food waste reduction 
efforts; 
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(D) create a Program website, as described 
in paragraph (4), to disseminate information to 
the public; and 
(E) collaborate with other colleges, univer-
sities, and nonprofit organizations in the re-
gions selected by the Liaison that have dem-
onstrated capability for research, information 
dissemination, and professional training in 
order to develop regional networks that are 
knowledgeable in food waste reduction issues. 
(2) AREAS OF STUDY.—In carrying out the du-
ties listed in subsection (a), the Liaison and the re-
gional partner institutions shall consider the fol-
lowing areas of study: 
(A) Reducing the volume of surplus food 
produced. 
(B) Feeding individuals in need to utilize 
excess food, including through the use of dona-
tions of surplus food. 
(C) Diverting food unusable for purposes 
of subparagraph (B) to feed animals. 
(D) Utilizing food waste to create renew-
able energy sources. 
(E) Composting food waste to create nutri-
ent rich soil. 
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(F) Diminishing the deposits of food waste 
in landfills and reducing the incineration of 
food waste. 
(3) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Liaison may make 
funds available under this section to improve 
the facilities of the regional partner institutions 
to a level that meets the requirements of the 
role of a regional partner institution. 
(B) PLAN.—A regional partner institution 
may not receive any funding for any facility up-
grade under subparagraph (A), unless— 
(i) the regional partner institution 
submits to the Liaison a plan detailing the 
type of facility construction or improve-
ments to take place (including any land ac-
quisition, engineering, design, and staffing 
and equipment needs, in addition to other 
information as required by the Liaison); 
and 
(ii) the Liaison approves such plan. 
(C) NON-FEDERAL COST SHARE FOR FA-
CILITY IMPROVEMENT.—A regional partner in-
stitutions shall be required to provide at least 
a 20 percent non-Federal cost share for facility 
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improvement or construction projects pursued 
by a regional partner institution under subpara-
graph (A). 
(D) MATCHING
FUNDS
FOR
OPERATING 
EXPENSES.—A regional partner institution shall 
be required to provide at least a 30 percent 
non-Federal cost share for all Program oper-
ating expenses related to such regional partner 
institution. 
(E) WAGE RATE REQUIREMENTS.—A con-
struction activity carried out pursuant to this 
section shall meet Federal prevailing wage re-
quirements as determined by the Secretary of 
Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of 
chapter 31 of part A of subtitle II of title 40, 
United States Code, (commonly referred to as 
the ‘‘Davis-Bacon Act’’). 
(4) 
FOOD
WASTE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM 
WEBSITE.—The Liaison shall establish a website 
that shall contain at least the following information: 
(A) Key findings and best practices. 
(B) A list of collaborations and partner-
ships carried out pursuant to this section. 
(C) Annual reports and other pertinent in-
formation on the duties of the Program. 
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(D) The location and contact information 
for regional partner institutions. 
(E) Federal, State, local, and regionally 
specific public research, data, education, and 
policy recommendations that shall be updated 
in a timely manner with new information. 
(F) Tools for tracking reduction efforts 
and measuring food waste production. 
(c) SELECTION OF REGIONAL PARTNER INSTITU-
TIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Liaison shall select 5 regional partner institutions to 
partner with to carry out the requirements of the 
Program. 
(2) CRITERIA FOR REGIONAL PARTNER INSTI-
TUTIONS.—In making a selection under paragraph 
(1), the Liaison shall select an institution of higher 
education that— 
(A) has a focus or expertise in at least one 
of the areas of study described in subsection 
(b)(2); 
(B) has the ability to plan, conduct, and 
arrange for public research, data, education, 
and recommendations related to food waste re-
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duction and the areas of study described in sub-
section (b)(2); 
(C) can assist the Liaison in fulfilling the 
duties listed in subsection (b)(1); 
(D) can contribute the required non-Fed-
eral funding to maintain a regional partner in-
stitution center; and 
(E) satisfies any other criteria determined 
by the Liaison. 
(3) ELIGIBLE SUB-AWARDEES.—A State, Trib-
al, or local government, local educational agency, ag-
ricultural or commodity organization, farmer, or 
other organization focused on food waste prevention 
may serve as an eligible sub-awardee of a regional 
partner institution if the entity meets the require-
ments of subparagraphs (A) through (C) of para-
graph (2). 
(4) EMPLOYMENT
STATUS.—Members of re-
gional partner institutions shall not be considered 
Federal employees for any purpose. 
(d) COLLABORATION WITH FEDERAL, REGIONAL, 
STATE, TRIBAL, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND ORGA-
NIZATIONS.—The Liaison, in conjunction with the 5 re-
gional partner institutions selected under subsection (c) 
shall collaborate and share best practices on regional, 
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State, Tribal, and locally specific food waste and food 
waste reduction issues with— 
(1) State and county governments; 
(2) Tribal governments; 
(3) units of local government; 
(4) local educational entities; 
(5) colleges and universities; 
(6) agricultural and commodity organizations; 
(7) farmers; and 
(8) organizations focused on food waste preven-
tion. 
(e) INFORMATION COLLECTION
AND DISSEMINA-
TION.— 
(1) REPORT OF REGIONAL PARTNER INSTITU-
TIONS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, 
the regional partnership institutions shall submit to 
the Liaison a report containing the activities, part-
nerships, collaborations, Federal policy recommenda-
tions, previous and continuing budgets, findings, and 
any other applicable information carried out under 
the Program. 
(2) LIAISON
REPORT.—Not later than 15 
months after the date of the enactment of this sec-
tion, and annually thereafter, the Liaison shall sub-
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mit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and 
publish on the Program website an annual report 
containing a compilation of the activities, partner-
ships, collaborations, Federal policy recommenda-
tions, previous and continuing budgets, findings, and 
any other applicable information relating to the Pro-
gram. 
(3) REVIEW OF REPORT.—The Liaison shall re-
view the annual report from the regional partner in-
stitutions to ensure that funds are being used effi-
ciently according to the duties of the Program and 
that the Program is producing utilizable public re-
search, data, education, and recommendations re-
lated to food waste and food waste reduction issues. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022. 
SEC. 3. GRANTS TO RESEARCH CENTERS OR NON-PROFIT 
ORGANIZATIONS. 
(a) GRANT AUTHORITY.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the Food 
Loss and Waste Reduction Liaison of the Department of 
Agriculture (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Liaison’’) 
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shall establish a grant program under which the Liaison 
shall make grants to eligible entities, on a competitive 
basis, to establish contracts or cooperative agreements de-
scribed in subsection (c) of section 224 of the Department 
of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 
6924(c)) with such eligible entities to carry out the duties 
described in subsection (b) of such section. 
(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the 
Liaison an application at such time and in such manner 
as the Liaison may require. 
(c) CRITERIA.—In making grants under this section, 
the Liaison shall consider, with respect to each applicant, 
the following: 
(1) The alignment of food loss and recovery 
programs and resources developed by such applicant 
with the Environmental Protection Agency Food Re-
covery Hierarchy. 
(2) The ability of the facilities and resources of 
such applicant to develop and deliver food loss re-
duction and recovery programs. 
(3) The experience of such applicant in devel-
oping high-impact food loss reduction and recovery 
programs and resources at the State, Tribal, re-
gional, or national scale. 
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(4) Previous collaboration of such applicant 
with other food loss reduction and recovery focused 
organizations in the private, nonprofit, and govern-
ment sectors. 
(5) Any other information that the Liaison 
shall require. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use such grant to carry 
out the activities described in subsection (c) of section 224 
of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 
1994 (7 U.S.C. 6924(c)) to accomplish the duties de-
scribed in subsection (b) of such section. 
(e) DURATION.—Each grant under this section shall 
be for a period of 3 years. 
(f) GRANT RENEWAL.—The Liaison may renew a 
grant under this section for an additional period of 3 
years. 
(g) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of a grant 
under this section shall not exceed 70 percent of the costs 
of the activities carried out under this section. 
(h) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter, the Liaison shall submit to Congress a report 
describing the activities conducted under this section and 
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the effects of such activities on food loss and waste reduc-
tion nationally. 
(i) ELIGIBLE ENTITY DEFINED.—The term ‘‘eligible 
entity’’ means a research center or nonprofit organization 
described in section 224(c) of the Department of Agri-
culture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6924(c)). 
(j) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022. 
Æ 
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