Sponsors (2)
The bill aims to funnel more edible surplus to food banks and cut the environmental footprint of wasted food through certification and interagency coordination, but it shifts compliance, administrative, and some fiscal costs onto small operators, agencies, and taxpayers and risks consumer confusion from voluntary labels.
Nonprofit food banks and low-income individuals will receive more edible surplus because certification and updated agency guidance make donation of excess food easier and more standardized.
Local communities and farmers will face reduced environmental harm as the bill encourages diversion of excess food to composting, anaerobic digestion, and animal feed and improves interagency efforts to cut landfill food waste and methane emissions.
Low-income households and consumers may see increased food availability and potential downward pressure on food costs due to improved federal agency (USDA/FDA/EPA) coordination to reduce food loss and waste.
Small businesses, schools, farms, and local governments must compile 12 months of documentation and adapt to revised guidance, creating substantial administrative and compliance burdens for many operators.
Small operators may face added direct costs from third-party accreditation, certification fees, or hiring consultants to meet program requirements.
Consumers could be confused by voluntary labeling if labels vary or lack clear, consumer-facing standards, reducing the value of certification and potentially misleading shoppers.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Introduced March 4, 2025 by Richard Joseph Durbin · Last progress March 4, 2025
Creates a voluntary USDA certification program to recognize and label organizations that reduce food loss and waste, sets rules for third-party accreditation and reporting, requires USDA to coordinate with FDA and EPA under an updated interagency agreement, and authorizes $3 million per year for FY2026–2030 to run the program. The Department of Agriculture must publish certification criteria within 18 months and maintain public lists of recognized accreditation bodies and accredited certifiers.