Food Donation Improvement Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-3141
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Toomey, Patrick [R-PA]
Introduced: 2019-12-19
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Charitable contributions

Civil actions and liability

Department of Agriculture

Food assistance and relief

Food industry and services

Food supply, safety, and labeling

Retail and wholesale trades
Latest action: action_date: 2019-12-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-12-19
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Food Donation Improvement Act of 2019</b></p> <p>This bill expands liability protections for the donation of food and grocery products.</p> <p>Specifically, the bill expands the liability protections to include donations of an apparently fit grocery product or apparently wholesome food:</p> <ul> <li>for which the recipient receives at zero cost or is charged a <i>good Samaritan reduced</i> price that is no greater than the cost of handling, administering, and distributing the product; or</li> <li>that is donated directly to a needy individual by a retail grocer, wholesaler, agricultural producer, restaurant, caterer, school food authority, or institution of higher education.</li> </ul> <p>The Department of Agriculture must issue regulations that clarify the quality and labeling standards that food products donated under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act must meet to be eligible for liability protection.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 3141 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 19, 2019 Mr. Toomey (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To amend the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to clarify and expand food donation, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Food Donation Improvement Act of 2019 . 2. Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1791 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (3), by inserting or is charged a good Samaritan reduced price before the period at the end; (B) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (10) as paragraphs (7) through (11), respectively; (C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following: (6) Good Samaritan reduced price The term good Samaritan reduced price means, with respect to the price of an apparently wholesome food or apparently fit grocery product, a price that is an amount not greater than the cost of handling, administering, and distributing the apparently wholesome food or apparently fit grocery product. ; and (D) by adding at the end the following: (12) Qualified direct donor The term qualified direct donor means a retail grocer, wholesaler, agricultural producer, restaurant, caterer, school food authority, and institution of higher education (as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1002 )). ; and (2) in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraphs (1) and (2), by inserting at zero cost or at a good Samaritan reduced price after needy individuals each place it appears; (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: (3) Direct donations to needy individuals A qualified direct donor shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the qualified direct donor donates in good faith or sells at a good Samaritan reduced price to a needy individual. ; and (D) in paragraph (4) (as so redesignated), by striking and (2) and inserting through (3) . 3. Regulations Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall issue regulations that clarify the quality and labeling standards that food products donated under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1791 ) must meet to be eligible for liability protection under that Act.