§1791 — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

Summary

Protects people and groups who give safe-looking food or household grocery items to charities from being sued or charged with a crime for problems caused by those donations, as long as the donation was made in good faith and the donor did not act with gross negligence or on purpose to cause harm. Charities that accept and pass on such donations are also protected. Farmers or others who let gleaners collect donated crops, and certain businesses that give food directly to needy people at no charge, get the same protection. If donated items need fixing, the donor is protected when they tell the charity about the problem, the charity agrees to fix them, and the charity knows how to do so. The law does not create new liability, and it does not override state or local health rules. Definitions in one line each: apparently fit grocery product — a nonfood grocery item that meets safety and labeling rules but may not be marketable; apparently wholesome food — food that meets safety and labeling rules but may not be marketable; donate — give without charging the recipient, with a narrow exception for nonprofits passing a small fee; food — anything edible or an ingredient for people to eat or drink; gleaner — someone who harvests donated crops to give to the needy; good Samaritan reduced price — a price no higher than the donor’s cost to handle and deliver the item; grocery product — household nonfood items like paper goods or cleaners; gross negligence — knowingly risky or careless behavior likely to cause harm; intentional misconduct — actions done with knowledge they will cause harm; nonprofit organization — a religious, charitable, or educational group that does not give profits to insiders; person — any individual or organization, including businesses and government; qualified direct donor — certain food sellers and producers such as grocers, wholesalers, farmers, restaurants, schools, and colleges.

Title 42, §1791

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)This section may be cited as the “Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act”.

(b)As used in this section:

(1)The term “apparently fit grocery product” means a grocery product that meets all quality and labeling standards imposed by Federal, State, and local laws and regulations even though the product may not be readily marketable due to appearance, age, freshness, grade, size, surplus, or other conditions.

(2)The term “apparently wholesome food” means food that meets all quality and labeling standards imposed by Federal, State, and local laws and regulations even though the food may not be readily marketable due to appearance, age, freshness, grade, size, surplus, or other conditions.

(3)The term “donate” means to give without requiring anything of monetary value from the recipient, except that the term shall include giving by a nonprofit organization to another nonprofit organization, notwithstanding that the donor organization has charged a nominal fee to the donee organization, if the ultimate recipient or user is not required to give anything of monetary value or is charged a good Samaritan reduced price.

(4)The term “food” means any raw, cooked, processed, or prepared edible substance, ice, beverage, or ingredient used or intended for use in whole or in part for human consumption.

(5)The term “gleaner” means a person who harvests for free distribution to the needy, or for donation to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to the needy, an agricultural crop that has been donated by the owner.

(6)The term “good Samaritan reduced price” means, with respect to the price of an apparently wholesome food or apparently fit grocery product, a price that is an amount not greater than the cost of handling, administering, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, and distributing the apparently wholesome food or apparently fit grocery product.

(7)The term “grocery product” means a nonfood grocery product, including a disposable paper or plastic product, household cleaning product, laundry detergent, cleaning product, or miscellaneous household item.

(8)The term “gross negligence” means voluntary and conscious conduct (including a failure to act) by a person who, at the time of the conduct, knew that the conduct was likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person.

(9)The term “intentional misconduct” means conduct by a person with knowledge (at the time of the conduct) that the conduct is harmful to the health or well-being of another person.

(10)The term “nonprofit organization” means an incorporated or unincorporated entity that—

(A)is operating for religious, charitable, or educational purposes; and

(B)does not provide net earnings to, or operate in any other manner that inures to the benefit of, any officer, employee, or shareholder of the entity.

(11)The term “person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, organization, association, or governmental entity, including a retail grocer, wholesaler, hotel, motel, manufacturer, restaurant, caterer, farmer, and nonprofit food distributor or hospital. In the case of a corporation, partnership, organization, association, or governmental entity, the term includes an officer, director, partner, deacon, trustee, council member, or other elected or appointed individual responsible for the governance of the entity.

(12)The term “qualified direct donor” means a retail grocer, wholesaler, agricultural producer, agricultural processor, agricultural distributor, restaurant, caterer, school food authority, or institution of higher education (as defined in section 1002 of title 20).

(c)(1)A person or gleaner shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the person or gleaner donates in good faith to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals at zero cost or at a good Samaritan reduced price.

(2)A nonprofit organization shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the nonprofit organization received as a donation in good faith from a person or gleaner for ultimate distribution to needy individuals at zero cost or at a good Samaritan reduced price.

(3)A qualified direct donor shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the qualified direct donor donates in good faith to a needy individual at zero cost.

(4)Paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) shall not apply to an injury to or death of an ultimate user or recipient of the food or grocery product that results from an act or omission of the person, gleaner, or nonprofit organization, as applicable, constituting gross negligence or intentional misconduct.

(d)A person who allows the collection or gleaning of donations on property owned or occupied by the person by gleaners, or paid or unpaid representatives of a nonprofit organization, for ultimate distribution to needy individuals shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability that arises due to the injury or death of the gleaner or representative, except that this paragraph shall not apply to an injury or death that results from an act or omission of the person constituting gross negligence or intentional misconduct.

(e)If some or all of the donated food and grocery products do not meet all quality and labeling standards imposed by Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, the person or gleaner who donates the food and grocery products shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability in accordance with this section if the nonprofit organization that receives the donated food or grocery products—

(1)is informed by the donor of the distressed or defective condition of the donated food or grocery products;

(2)agrees to recondition the donated food or grocery products to comply with all the quality and labeling standards prior to distribution; and

(3)is knowledgeable of the standards to properly recondition the donated food or grocery product.

(f)This section shall not be construed to create any liability. Nothing in this section shall be construed to supercede State or local health regulations.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 12672 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 104–210.

Amendments

2023—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 117–362, § 1(1)(A), inserted “or is charged a good Samaritan reduced price” before period at end. Subsec. (b)(6) to (11). Pub. L. 117–362, § 1(1)(B), (C), added par. (6) and redesignated former pars. (6) to (10) as (7) to (11), respectively. Subsec. (b)(12). Pub. L. 117–362, § 1(1)(D), added par. (12). Subsec. (c)(1), (2). Pub. L. 117–362, § 1(2)(A), inserted “at zero cost or at a good Samaritan reduced price” after “needy individuals”. Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 117–362, § 1(2)(C), added par. (3). Former par. (3) redesignated (4). Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 117–362, § 1(2)(B), (D), redesignated par. (3) as (4) and substituted “, (2), and (3)” for “and (2)”. 1996—Pub. L. 104–210, § 1(a)(2)(A), substituted “Bill Emerson” for “Model” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–210, § 1(a)(2)(B), inserted “Bill Emerson” before “Good”. Subsec. (b)(7). Pub. L. 104–210, § 1(a)(2)(C), reenacted heading without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The term ‘gross negligence’ means voluntary and conscious conduct by a person with knowledge (at the time of the conduct) that the conduct is likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person.” Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–210, § 1(a)(2)(D), added subsec. (c) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (c). Text read as follows: “A person or gleaner shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the person or gleaner donates in good faith to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals, except that this paragraph shall not apply to an injury to or death of an ultimate user or recipient of the food or grocery product that results from an act or omission of the donor constituting gross negligence or intentional misconduct.” Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 104–210, § 1(a)(2)(E), inserted at end “Nothing in this section shall be construed to supercede State or local health

Regulations

.”

§1791 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act