Strengthening government approach to food loss and waste

(a) Interagency collaboration on food loss and waste (1) In general The Secretary, in collaboration with the Administrator and the Commissioner, shall collaborate to carry out the agreement relative to cooperation and coordination on food loss and waste signed by those officials on December 17, 2020. (2) Reports Every year, the Secretary, acting through the Liaison and the Office of Food Loss and Waste established under section 3, in consultation with the Administrator and the Commissioner, shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report describing the progress of the Secretary in carrying out the agreement described in paragraph (1). (3) Interagency engagement Pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary, the Administrator, and the Commissioner shall engage with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies, including the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of General Services, and such other Federal departments and agencies as the Secretary, the Administrator, and the Commissioner determine to be appropriate, to expand work on food loss and food waste. (4) Consultation (A) In general The Secretary shall consult with, and receive advice from, representatives described in subparagraph (B) relating to— (i) programming and policy issues relating to understanding existing and future challenges relating to food loss and food waste; (ii) acquiring the latest data relating to food loss and food waste; (iii) the latest innovative solutions relating to food loss and food waste from leading experts; and (iv) sharing and developing procurement best practices that will assist the heads of Federal departments and agencies described in paragraph (3) in— (I) preventing food loss and waste; (II) reducing food loss and food waste; (III) leading by example in addressing issues relating to food loss and food waste; and (IV) engaging contractors in reducing food loss and food waste in the operations of the contractors. (B) Representatives The representatives referred to in subparagraph (A) are representatives of— (i) the private sector; (ii) agricultural producers; (iii) food industry members, such as food safety trainers, food aggregators and processors, food safety professionals, retailers, and food service entities; (iv) nonprofit organizations; (v) food recovery organizations of varying sizes; and (vi) any other sector, as determined by the Secretary. (C) Representation of smaller producers and food insecure communities In consulting and receiving advice under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall ensure participation by smaller producers and organizations from communities most impacted by food and nutrition insecurity and food loss and food waste issues. (D) Forms of consultation The Secretary may consult and receive advice under subparagraph (A) through— (i) a meeting through which input is sought, such as a workshop, town hall meeting, or listening session; (ii) a meeting described in clause (i) with an existing group formed by representatives described in subparagraph (B); and (iii) such other means as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. (E) Interagency meetings The Secretary shall host quarterly meetings with the Administrator, the Commissioner, and the heads of other Federal agencies for the purpose of sharing communications relating to consultation and advice received under subparagraph (A) with those officials regularly. (F) FACA exemption Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Federal Advisory Committee Act), shall not apply to any group formed for purposes of consultation or providing advice under this paragraph. (5) Continuation of effect Nothing in the subsection shall be affected by the expiration of the agreement described in paragraph (1). (6) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this subsection $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. (b) Federal contractors Section 4 of the Federal Food Donation Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 1792) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 180 days and all that follows through the Federal and inserting 180 days after the date of enactment of the New Opportunities for Technological Innovation, Mitigation, and Education To Overcome Waste Act, the Federal; (B) in paragraph (1)— (i) by striking encourages and inserting requires; and (ii) by striking and after the semicolon; (C) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting; and; and (D) by adding at the end the following: (3) requires the contractor to submit to the applicable executive agency a report describing— (A) efforts and actions to prevent and reduce food loss and food waste (as those terms are defined in section 2 of the New Opportunities for Technological Innovation, Mitigation, and Education To Overcome Waste Act); (B) food waste (as so defined) through activities carried out under the contract; and (C) food donated as described in paragraph (1).; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (c) Reports to Congress Every 2 years, each executive agency shall submit to Congress reports describing the matters reported to the executive agency under subsection (a)(3).. (c) Strengthening food loss and waste research at the Department of Agriculture (1) Critical agriculture research and extension In awarding grants under the critical agriculture research and extension crosscutting program area priority established by the Secretary under subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)), the Secretary shall give priority to grants to address food loss and food waste. (2) Inter-disciplinary engagement in animal systems In awarding grants under the inter-disciplinary engagement in animal systems crosscutting program area priority established by the Secretary under subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)), the Secretary shall give priority to grants to address food loss and food waste. (3) Animal nutrition, growth, and lactation In awarding grants under the animal nutrition, growth, and lactation emphasis area program established by the Secretary under subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)), the Secretary shall give priority to grants— (A) to reduce losses due to production inefficiencies, including on-farm milk loss; and (B) to use wholesome uneaten food and food processing byproducts from the human food system as feed ingredients.