SF 2674

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 07/01/2019 03:14pm

A bill for an act
relating to environment; appropriating money for food reclamation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2020 and $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2021 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency for the agency's
Resource Management and Assistance Division to reduce the amount of food waste entering
landfills, divert food waste from the waste stream by redirecting edible food to feed people
and food scraps to feed animals, and to remove barriers to building a large-scale collection
and recovery of organic waste. Of this amount:
new text end

new text begin (1) $250,000 each year is for grants to support increased rescue of retail and prepared
food and to expand adoption of proven methods for business and residential food-waste
prevention;
new text end

new text begin (2) $500,000 each year is for a grant to Second Harvest Heartland on behalf of the six
Feeding America food banks that serve Minnesota to compensate designated operators of
food banks, food shelves, and meal programs for costs incurred to source, store, distribute,
and appropriately discard excess fruits, vegetables, or prepared food that would otherwise
be discarded. Excess food must be distributed to the extent practicable to food shelves and
other meal programs that are eligible to receive food from the food banks. Second Harvest
Heartland must report when and as required by the commissioner and may use up to 15
percent of the grant for matching administrative and transportation expenses; and
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new text begin (3) $250,000 each year is for the commissioner to analyze food interaction with
contaminants of emerging concern and other barriers to reclaiming edible food and to
administer grants and provide policy support associated with food rescue and food-waste
reduction efforts.
new text end