Blumenthal & Toomey Legislation to Increase Food Donations & Promote Food Security Becomes Law

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and former U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) applauded President Joe Biden’s signing into law of the bipartisan Food Donation Improvement Act. Blumenthal and Toomey introduced the legislation in the Senate in November 2021 to expand food donation efforts across the country. The legislation was approved by the Senate and House in December during the 117^th Congress.

“Stopping hunger should be a national priority—as this new bipartisan measure recognizes,” said Blumenthal. “Incredibly and unconscionably, as Americans across the country go hungry every day, nearly 40 percent of America’s food goes to waste, but much of it can be saved and donated instead of discarded. This new law will promote more food donations by restaurants, supermarkets and others by removing legal roadblocks.”

“Donating food to the less fortunate should be as easy as possible,” said Toomey. “This new legislation will help get more food to those who need it most by shielding good faith donors from frivolous lawsuits.”

With millions of Americans facing food insecurity, ambiguous, outdated, and limited liability protections often prevent many businesses and organizations from donating food. The Food Donation Improvement Act will encourage food donation efforts by extending liability protections to food donors when food is either given directly to a person in need or when a recipient pays a deeply reduced cost.

The House legislation was introduced in December 2021 by U.S. Representatives James P. McGovern (D-MA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and the late Jackie Walorski (R-IN).

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