Assembly Bill A8508

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires the commissioner of education mandate schools donate unused food to local food banks

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Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2025-A8508 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §305, Ed L

2025-A8508 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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

2025-A8508 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8508
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               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:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  56  of  section 305 of the education law, as
 added by chapter 316 of the laws of 2017, is renumbered  subdivision  63
 and is amended to read as follows:
   63. The commissioner, in consultation and cooperation with the commis-
 sioner  of  agriculture  and  markets, [may] SHALL develop guidelines to
 [encourage] MANDATE school districts and institutions of  higher  educa-
 tion  to  donate  excess,  unused, edible food from meals served at such
 educational facilities  to  local  voluntary  food  assistance  programs
 including,  but  not limited to, community food pantries, soup kitchens,
 and other community and  not-for-profit  organizations  that  distribute
 food to the poor and disadvantaged. Such guidelines developed concerning
 donated  food  shall  comply  with  all  federal, state and local public
 health laws, rules and regulations that  govern  food  safety  and  food
 donation.
   Such guidelines may include, but not be limited to:
   a.  a  procedure  to  provide  information to school districts, insti-
 tutions of higher education and local voluntary food assistance programs
 of the provisions of such guidelines;
   b. notification to educational institutions of their ability to  elect
 to donate excess, unused, edible food to local voluntary food assistance
 programs; and
   c.  information  and  technical assistance on how school districts and
 institutions of higher education may best donate excess food in  a  safe
 and sanitary manner.

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

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