Posted: | November 9, 2015 04:32 PM |
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From: | Senator Richard L. Alloway, II and Sen. Lisa M. Boscola |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Resolution urging Food Donation |
According to Feeding America, one in seven Pennsylvanians deals with hunger; 39% of these households have at least one child under the age of 18. Food banks, while laudably attempting to reduce that figure, still fall short in providing adequate food supplies to hungry Pennsylvanians. Despite this, a typical restaurant on average, produces 150,000 pounds of food waste each year. Nearly 25 years ago, the Pennsylvania General Assembly amended the Judiciary Code (Title 42), section 8338 to provide for reduced liability for damages from donated food and grocery products. This “Good Samaritan” provision allows for restaurants, grocery stores, and other entities that produce and sell food to donate their excess to food banks, and unless negligence or willful provision of expired food can be proven, to be held free of liability in a civil lawsuit if a person should unfortunately become ill from the donated food. Because of the excess of consumable food being disposed while our friends and neighbors starve, we have thought it necessary to draw attention to this provision in Title 42 and encourage businesses such as restaurants to take advantage of “Good Samaritan” provisions to reduce their food waste and help feed our communities. Please join us in co-sponsoring this resolution to help end hunger in Pennsylvania. |
Introduced as SR251