Bill > S1016

This bill aims to encourage the donation of food to persons in need. It does so by providing legal protections and tax incentives for such donations. Specifically, the bill amends existing law to: 1) Provide liability protection for individuals and food establishments that donate food, including expired but otherwise safe food, to nonprofit organizations for distribution to those in need, as long as the food is not misbranded, adulterated, or handled improperly. 2) Offer a tax deduction for businesses engaged in farming that donate food crops grown in Massachusetts to nonprofit food distribution organizations, up to $2,000 per year, provided the donated food is used to provide food to the needy and not sold for profit. The goal of these provisions is to encourage and facilitate the donation of surplus food to charitable organizations that can distribute it to people experiencing food insecurity.