Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act

by the 104th Congress of the United States

104^TH UNITED STATES CONGRESS
2^ND SESSION

An Act
To encourage the donation of food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations for distribution to needy individuals by giving
the Model Good Samaritan Food Donation Act the full force and effect of law.

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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONVERSION TO PERMANENT LAW OF MODEL GOOD SAMARITAN FOOD DONATION ACT AND TRANSFER OF THAT ACT TO CHILD NUTRITION ACT OF 1966.

(a) CONVERSION TO PERMANENT LAW—

Title IV of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended—

(1) by striking the title heading and sections 401 and 403 (42 U.S.C. 12671 and 12673); and

(2) in section 402 (42 U.S.C. 12672)—

(A) in the section heading, by striking ``model´´ and inserting ``Bill Emerson´´;

(B) in subsection (a), by striking ``Good Samaritan´´ and inserting ``Bill Emerson Good Samaritan´´;

(C) in subsection (b)(7), to read as follows:

``(7) GROSS NEGLIGENCE—

``The term ``gross negligence´´ means voluntary and conscious conduct (including a failure to act) by a person who, at the time of the conduct, knew that the conduct was likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person.';

(D) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:

``(c) LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES FROM DONATED FOOD AND GROCERY PRODUCTS—

``(1) LIABILITY OF PERSON OR GLEANER—

``A person or gleaner 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 person or gleaner donates in good faith to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.

``(2) LIABILITY OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION—

``A nonprofit organization 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 nonprofit organization received as a donation in good faith from a person or gleaner for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.

``(3) EXCEPTION—

``Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply to an injury to or death of an ultimate user or recipient of the food or grocery product that results from an act or omission of the person, gleaner, or nonprofit organization, as applicable, constituting gross negligence or intentional misconduct.´´; and

(E) in subsection (f), by adding at the end the following: ``Nothing in this section shall be construed to supercede State or local health regulations.´´.

(b) TRANSFER TO CHILD NUTRITION ACT OF 1966—

Section 402 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12672) (as amended by subsection (a))—

(1) is transferred from the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to the Child Nutrition Act of 1966;

(2) is redesignated as section 22 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966; and

(3) is added at the end of such Act.

(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT—

The table of contents for the National and Community Service Act of 1990 is amended by striking the items relating to title IV.

Approved October 1, 1996.

Legislative History

• H.R. 2428
• HOUSE REPORTS:
  • No. 104-661 (Comm. on Economic and Educational Opportunities).
• CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 142 (1996):
  • July 12, considered and passed House.
  • Aug. 2, considered and passed Senate, amended.
  • Sept. 5, House concurred in Senate amendments.
• WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 32 (1996):
  • Oct. 1, Presidential statement.