New York A 8508: Requires the commissioner of education mandate schools donate unused food to local food banks

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A08508 Summary:

BILL NOA08508 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORChang

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §305, Ed L

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Requires the commissioner of education mandate schools donate unused food to local food banks and establish policies and procedures to effectuate such program.

Go to top A08508 Actions:

BILL NOA08508 

&nbsp

05/20/2025referred to education

01/07/2026referred to education

Go to topA08508 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA08508 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA08508 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 8508

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 May 20, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. CHANG -- read once and referred to the Committee
 on Education

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring excess,
 unused, edible food from meals served at educational facilities be
 donated to local voluntary food assistance programs

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Subdivision 56 of section 305 of the education law, as
 2 added by chapter 316 of the laws of 2017, is renumbered subdivision 63
 3 and is amended to read as follows:
 4 63. The commissioner, in consultation and cooperation with the commis-
 5 sioner of agriculture and markets, [may] shall develop guidelines to
 6 [encourage] mandate school districts and institutions of higher educa-
 7 tion to donate excess, unused, edible food from meals served at such
 8 educational facilities to local voluntary food assistance programs
 9 including, but not limited to, community food pantries, soup kitchens,
 10 and other community and not-for-profit organizations that distribute
 11 food to the poor and disadvantaged. Such guidelines developed concerning
 12 donated food shall comply with all federal, state and local public
 13 health laws, rules and regulations that govern food safety and food
 14 donation.
 15 Such guidelines may include, but not be limited to:
 16 a. a procedure to provide information to school districts, insti-
 17 tutions of higher education and local voluntary food assistance programs
 18 of the provisions of such guidelines;
 19 b. notification to educational institutions of their ability to elect
 20 to donate excess, unused, edible food to local voluntary food assistance
 21 programs; and
 22 c. information and technical assistance on how school districts and
 23 institutions of higher education may best donate excess food in a safe
 24 and sanitary manner.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD11983-01-5

 A. 8508 2

 1 The commissioner shall coordinate the implementation of such guide-
 2 lines with the farm-to-school program established pursuant to subdivi-
 3 sion five-b of section sixteen of the agriculture and markets law.
 4 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 5 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
 6 repeal of any rule of regulation necessary for the implementation of
 7 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
 8 on or before such effective date.

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