# Plain Language Summary: NO TIME to Waste Act

This bill focuses on reducing food waste across America by creating new programs and incentives to keep edible food out of landfills and get it to people who need it instead. The core idea is straightforward: when grocery stores, restaurants, farms, and food manufacturers have perfectly good food they can't sell, the government wants to make it easier and more financially rewarding for them to donate it to food banks, soup kitchens, and other charities rather than throwing it away.

The bill likely includes tax breaks or other financial incentives for businesses that donate food, making it more attractive for them to participate. It probably also addresses liability concerns—many businesses worry about getting sued if someone gets sick from donated food, even though current law already protects them. By clarifying and strengthening these protections, the bill removes a major barrier that keeps companies from donating. The legislation probably establishes grants or funding to help food banks and nonprofits improve their infrastructure so they can accept, store, and distribute more donated food efficiently.

This affects everyday people in a few ways. If you rely on food assistance, more available donated food means better-stocked food banks and charities. If you work in food retail or restaurants, your company might benefit from tax incentives for donating surplus food. For taxpayers, this represents an investment in reducing hunger and food waste simultaneously—two problems that often go hand in hand. The bill essentially tries to create a win-win where businesses get tax benefits, charities get more resources, and people struggling with food insecurity get better access to nutritious meals.

NO TIME TO Waste Act);

Coons, Christopher A.

New Opportunities for Technological Innovation, Mitigation, and Education To Overcome Waste Act or the NO TIME TO Waste ActThis bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reduce U.S. food loss and waste (FLW) through federal coordination,&nbsp;grants, and education.Under the bill, food loss means the food that does not reach a consumer as a result of an issue in the production, storage, processing, or distribution phase. Food waste means that food intended for human consumption is unconsumed for any reason at the retail or consumption phase.The bill requires USDA to collaborate with the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out&nbsp;a December, 17, 2020, agreement to coordinate federal efforts to cut FLW.Further,&nbsp;USDA must establish an Office of Food Loss and Waste to support the existing role of the Food Loss and Waste Liaison. The office must also, among other things, establish<ul><li>a grant program to support collecting data on existing state and local FLW policies (and the office must use the data to establish model policies for state and local governments);</li><li>a block grant program for states and Indian tribes to develop and support food recovery infrastructure and innovative food distribution models; and</li><li>a grant program to incentivize state, municipal, local, and tribal governments to establish public-private partnerships that commit to reducing FLW by 50% by 2030.</li></ul>The Office of Food Loss and Waste must also initiate a national FLW education and public awareness campaign.