Food Rescue Act
Congress Proposes National System to Turn Surplus Food into Meals for Families in Need
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- Mr. Torres of New York introduced a bill to create a national network that finds extra food from farms and stores and gets it to people who need it. This system would help coordinate how surplus food is collected and delivered across the country.
- The Department of Agriculture would provide grants to non-profits and local agencies to help them pick up, store, and move food that would otherwise go to waste. This includes funding for 'gleaning,' which is when volunteers collect leftover crops from farmers' fields.
- The money can be used for essential equipment like refrigerated trucks and cold-storage warehouses. It also supports technology and apps that help businesses quickly match their extra food with local food banks in real-time.
- The goal is to strengthen the connection between the food industry and charities. By improving logistics, the bill aims to make sure fresh food reaches food-insecure communities before it spoils.
- This program would work alongside existing food bank efforts to reduce food waste and help families who struggle to afford groceries. The bill authorizes the government to spend the money necessary to get the system running.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Retailers, food manufacturers, and distributors would have a coordinated system to redirect surplus food to charities instead of sending it to landfills. Small grocery stores and food businesses could reduce waste disposal costs and participate in real-time technology platforms that match their extra inventory with nearby food banks. This creates both cost savings and community goodwill opportunities.
Programs
State Impacts
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
4 articles
Rep. Ritchie Torres introduces ambitious food rescue bill aimed at solving U.S. hunger
Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced the Food Rescue Act to nationalize food rescue by redistributing surplus food to hungry communities. The bill, an amendment to the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983, partners with organizations like Sharing Excess and provides USDA grants for logistics.
Rep. Ritchie Torres introduces ambitious food rescue bill aimed at solving U.S. hunger
This article details Rep. Ritchie Torres's introduction of the Food Rescue Act (H.R. 7144), which aims to establish a national food rescue system. The bill would provide USDA grants for cold storage, transportation, and technology to connect surplus food from farms to food banks.
NY Rep. Torres warns the Bronx most vulnerable to SNAP benefits loss
Rep. Ritchie Torres warned that Bronx residents are most vulnerable to a looming loss of SNAP benefits. He urged the administration to use emergency funds to sustain nutritional benefits, emphasizing that hunger is a logistics problem and that the U.S. produces enough food for everyone.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Food Rescue Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.