NO TIME TO Waste Act);

This legislation aims to cut wasted food across America. It creates a new Office of Food Loss and Waste at the Department of Agriculture to research solutions, share tools and model policies with states and cities, and track progress toward reducing food loss and waste by 50% by 2030, compared to 2016 levels. The Office runs grants to collect data on what works and reports progress to the public and Congress, while USDA, EPA, and FDA increase coordination with businesses, farmers, nonprofits, and other agencies.

It boosts on-the-ground food recovery. USDA will place regional coordinators to help move surplus food quickly, and states and Tribes can get annual block grants to build cold storage, delivery capacity, and tech that matches extra food with local groups—and to help pay staff who do this work. Local and Tribal governments can also get grants to form teams with nonprofits and businesses (like grocery stores, restaurants, and hospitals) to cut waste; these teams must measure results, share best practices, and put up a 50% match, all aligned with the 2030 goal. A national education campaign will teach families how to store food, read “best by” dates, compost, and try upcycled foods; it uses community pilots, behavioral science, and waste audits to find what works. The bill also tightens rules for federal contractors by moving from encouraging to requiring action on food donation and waste reduction, with regular reporting, and it prioritizes research that cuts farm and supply‑chain losses or safely uses uneaten food as animal feed; it expands a USDA composting and food waste program so more governments, including small and rural ones, can apply.

• Who is affected: State, local, and Tribal governments; nonprofits and food recovery groups; grocery, restaurant, hospitality, hospital, and elder‑care sectors; federal contractors; families and students through public education.
• What changes: New USDA office; regional coordinators; block grants for food recovery infrastructure; grants for local government–business–nonprofit partnerships; a national education campaign; stronger contractor requirements and reporting; research priorities; easier access to composting and food waste reduction grants.
• When: Many programs are authorized for fiscal years 2026–2030, and the national target is a 50% cut in food loss and waste by 2030.