Bill > SB599

This bill establishes three new grant programs aimed at reducing and diverting wasted food and organic materials. The first, the On-Farm Organics Diversion and Recycling Grant Program, will be administered by the Department of Agriculture and will provide grants to farmers, urban farmers (individuals who farm in urban areas), urban agricultural producers (entities selling at least $1,000 of farm products annually in urban areas), soil conservation districts, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and businesses partnering with farmers. These grants will fund projects that reduce wasted food, rescue edible food for redistribution, recover food as animal feed, compost or recycle food scraps, provide training, study compost impacts, or help with permit costs. The second and third programs, the Wasted Food Reduction and Diversion Grant Program and the County Wasted Food Reduction Block Grant Program, will be administered by the Department of the Environment. The Wasted Food Reduction and Diversion Grant Program will fund similar projects as the on-farm program but is open to a broader range of entities including government units, local education agencies, and businesses. The County Wasted Food Reduction Block Grant Program will provide funds directly to counties, allocated based on population, to support local projects that reduce, rescue, and divert wasted food. All three programs will prioritize projects that benefit the community, address community needs, produce high-quality compost, serve overburdened or underserved communities (areas with significant environmental health issues or socioeconomic disadvantages), minimize negative local impacts, and maximize community benefits like job creation and training. Importantly, entities cannot receive grants from both the on-farm program and the Department of the Environment's Wasted Food Reduction and Diversion Grant Program in the same year. The bill also mandates reporting to the General Assembly on the impact of these grants.

Education

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0599?ys=2026RS