Congress·In Committee·S. 1395

Congress proposes USDA office, grants, and contractor reporting to cut food waste by 2030 goal

NO TIME TO Waste Act);

12 months ago·View on Congress.gov

⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

Creates a new Agriculture Department office to study food loss and waste, share tools, and track progress toward cutting waste by 50% by 2030.
Funds grants to states, cities, and Tribal governments to collect solid data on what local anti-waste policies work, with a 10% local match required.
Sets up regional coordinators to help farms, food businesses, and food banks move surplus food faster, and supports storage, refrigeration, and other pickup/delivery needs.
Requires federal contractors to take steps to prevent waste, donate edible food, and report their results; agencies must send those reports to Congress every 2 years.
Starts a national public education campaign on food labels, safe storage, meal planning, donation options, and composting, including local pilot projects and waste audits.

AgricultureEnvironmentConsumer ProtectionClimate Change

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(5)

Small Business Owner

Neutral

Gig Worker

Neutral

Farmer Rancher

Neutral

Disability Benefits

Neutral

Tribal Member

Neutral

Positive Impacts(5)

Snap Food Stamps

Helps

Housing Assistance

Helps

Child Tax Credit

Helps

Homeowner

Helps

Renter

Helps

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Apr 9, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Apr 9, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

After the bill becomes law

USDA sets up the new Office of Food Loss and Waste and starts publishing tools and reports

You may start seeing new public resources (guides, model policies, progress reports) that states, cities, and community groups use to cut waste and improve food donation systems

FY2026–FY2030, once USDA opens the program

States and Indian Tribes can apply for annual block grants to build food recovery and distribution infrastructure

Food banks and partner groups may get new cold storage, refrigerated vehicles, and software to move surplus food faster and more safely

Starting 180 days after enactment (for updated federal donation requirements)

New contract language and reporting requirements kick in for federal contractors handling food

Companies serving federal sites may change how they buy, prepare, donate, and track food to reduce waste; some may pass compliance costs into bids

FY2026 or later, if funded

USDA launches the national food waste education and awareness campaign, including community pilot projects

You may see messages about date labels, food safety vs freshness, and tips that can lower household food waste; some communities may get extra local programming and waste audits

After enactment, once USDA updates its guidance

USDA publishes added guidance and keeps applications open longer for certain pilot projects, aimed at smaller/rural applicants

Smaller towns and rural areas may have a better shot at applying without needing paid grant writers, which can expand composting and other waste-reduction projects

Annually after enactment (as the Office and interagency work ramps up)

Yearly public progress reports on national food loss/waste reduction efforts and the 2030 goal

Communities and businesses can compare what’s working, and pressure may increase for programs that show measurable reductions