An Act relative to the promotion of food donation
Generates a plain-language summary of the bill text and history.
| Date | Branch | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1/5/2026 | House | Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means |
| 9/10/2025 | Joint | Hearing rescheduled to 09/10/2025 from 10:00 AM-01:35 PM in B-2 and Virtual — Hearing updated to New End Time |
| 8/29/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 09/10/2025 from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM in B-2 |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Senate concurred |
| 2/27/2025 | House | Referred to the committee on Public Health |
| Committee | Recommendation | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| J16 | Favorable | 1 entries |
The department of public health shall issue guidance to businesses in the commonwealth regarding best practices for food donation, and state and federal policies concerning liability protections when donating food. The guidance shall include, but not be limited to, a review of: (i) state and federal liability protection laws in place concerning food donation; (ii) the community benefits of food donation, including, but not limited to, reducing food waste, and providing food for those in need; (iii) incentives for businesses to donate surplus food; (iv) federal, state, and local regulations for safe food handling of food donations; (v) best practices of food donation; (vi) the types of food and produce that may be donated by businesses; (vii) and contact information for staff at the department of public health that businesses can reach out to with questions regarding food donation best practices and liability protections.
The commissioner of the department of public health shall establish how said guidelines regarding food donation by businesses be distributed to Massachusetts establishments in a manner that ensures that they are easily accessible. The commissioner shall also ensure that said guidelines are posted on the department of public health’s website. The guidelines shall be developed, distributed, and posted by the department of public health no later than 6 months within the passage of this act.
The department of public health shall conduct educational webinars for health agents and local boards of health regarding best practices and strategies for implementing effective and safe policies and programs regarding food donation. The commissioner of the department of public health shall determine the educational content that shall be included in said webinars, and the frequency with which they shall be held, provided that, said webinars are held a minimum of 4 times per calendar year.
The department of public health shall develop and implement a state-wide educational campaign to conduct targeted outreach to Massachusetts businesses and consumers to teach them about the importance of reducing food waste and how they can play a role in reducing food waste. The commissioner of the department of public health shall ensure that the campaign is developed and implemented no later than 12 months within the passage of this act.
SECTION 1. The department of public health shall issue guidance to businesses in the commonwealth regarding best practices for food donation, and state and federal policies concerning liability protections when donating food. The guidance shall include, but not be limited to, a review of: (i) state and federal liability protection laws in place concerning food donation; (ii) the community benefits of food donation, including, but not limited to, reducing food waste, and providing food for those in need; (iii) incentives for businesses to donate surplus food; (iv) federal, state, and local regulations for safe food handling of food donations; (v) best practices of food donation; (vi) the types of food and produce that may be donated by businesses; (vii) and contact information for staff at the department of public health that businesses can reach out to with questions regarding food donation best practices and liability protections. SECTION 2. The commissioner of the department of public health shall establish how said guidelines regarding food donation by businesses be distributed to Massachusetts establishments in a manner that ensures that they are easily accessible. The commissioner shall also ensure that said guidelines are posted on the department of public health’s website. The guidelines shall be developed, distributed, and posted by the department of public health no later than 6 months within the passage of this act. SECTION 3. The department of public health shall conduct educational webinars for health agents and local boards of health regarding best practices and strategies for implementing effective and safe policies and programs regarding food donation. The commissioner of the department of public health shall determine the educational content that shall be included in said webinars, and the frequency with which they shall be held, provided that, said webinars are held a minimum of 4 times per calendar year. SECTION 4. The department of public health shall develop and implement a state-wide educational campaign to conduct targeted outreach to Massachusetts businesses and consumers to teach them about the importance of reducing food waste and how they can play a role in reducing food waste. The commissioner of the department of public health shall ensure that the campaign is developed and implemented no later than 12 months within the passage of this act.