Food Recovery Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-4184
Sponsor: Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
Introduced: 2015-12-07 in the House
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural conservation and pollution
Agricultural education
Agricultural equipment and machinery
Agricultural practices and innovations
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Alternative and renewable resources
Charitable contributions
Child health
Department of Agriculture
Elementary and secondary education
Executive agency funding and structure
Food assistance and relief
Food industry and services
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Fruit and vegetables
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Income tax deductions
Nutrition and diet
Public contracts and procurement
Retail and wholesale trades
Rural conditions and development
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Solid waste and recycling

Summary:
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: 

Food Recovery Act of 2015 

 
This bill amends the following to provide funding, expand tax deductions, and establish requirements to reduce food waste: the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; the Internal Revenue Code; the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; the Solid Waste Disposal Act; and several agricultural laws. 
 
The bill expands and establishes federal grant and loan programs to: 
 
 
 improve the nutritional health of children and raise awareness about food waste, 
 
 improve cooperation between agricultural producers and emergency feeding organizations,
 
 assist schools in using food from farms that would otherwise go to waste and providing farms with compostable materials, and 
 
 install facilities that include composting or anaerobic digesters that use food or crop waste to produce energy. 
 
 
Recipients of grants to install anaerobic digesters that use waste to produce energy must meet specified requirements regarding environmental laws and the distribution of certain food to hunger-serving organizations. 
 
USDA must: (1) establish an Office of Food Recovery to coordinate federal programs to measure and reduce food waste, and (2) study techniques for decreasing food waste and estimating the amount of food wasted by farms. 
 
The bill provides that composting is a conservation practice eligible for support under USDA's conservation programs. 
 
The bill extends and expands tax deductions for the donation of food to charitable organizations. 
 
&quot;Sell-by&quot; dates included on food labeling must indicate that the dates are only the manufacturer's suggestion and use uniform language. 
 
Companies that receive food service contracts with the federal government must donate surplus food to nonprofit organizations that assist food-insecure people. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
action_date: 2015-12-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-12-09
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H9089)
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-12-07
text: Introduced in House