# 119-hr-4516: Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act

119-hr-4516, Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5] (D-NY); status introduced (as of 2026-07-02).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4516
- As of: 2026-07-02
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-4516
- Congress: 119
- Title: Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-07-17
- Sponsor: Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5] (D-NY)
- Cosponsors: 41
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-02

## Summary

**Would prioritize delivering U.S.-procured aid goods to beneficiaries before they spoil.** This bill would add rules to the Foreign Assistance Act requiring expedited funding and delivery, bar destruction of perishable and nonperishable aid unless all donation or sale options are exhausted, and mandate annual reports to Congress on expired, spoiled, or destroyed items. - Beneficiaries overseas: Increases the chance food, medicine, vaccines, and medical devices reach intended recipients before expiration by pushing for donation or expedited delivery. - U.S. agencies and implementing partners: Would require the State Department, the Department of Agriculture, and USAID to release funds quickly to move commodities and to document efforts before any destruction. - Congress and taxpayers: Agencies must send annual reports to appropriations and foreign affairs committees listing each spoiled or destroyed commodity, efforts made to save it, its purpose, locations of intended recipients, value, and disposal costs.

## Cosponsors (41)

- Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22] (D-FL), 2025-07-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] (D-NY), 2025-07-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1] (D-RI), 2025-07-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51] (D-CA), 2025-07-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] (D-NY), 2025-07-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5] (D-GA), 2025-07-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] (D-WA), 2025-07-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] (D-MA), 2025-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1] (D-IL), 2025-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4] (D-PA), 2025-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] (D-CA), 2025-08-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large] (D-DE), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] (D-NY), 2025-09-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Olszewski, Johnny [D-MD-2] (D-MD), 2025-09-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7] (D-TX), 2025-09-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7] (D-CO), 2025-10-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] (D-WA), 2025-10-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20] (D-FL), 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA), 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (D-WI), 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2025-11-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8] (D-VA), 2025-11-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2025-11-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT), 2025-11-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2025-11-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA), 2025-11-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35] (D-CA), 2025-11-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] (D-IL), 2025-11-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV), 2025-11-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] (D-MN), 2025-11-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4] (D-VA), 2025-11-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN), 2025-12-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4] (D-NV), 2025-12-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8] (D-MA), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO), 2026-01-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49] (D-CA), 2026-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1] (D-CO), 2026-04-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3] (D-OR), 2026-06-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2] (D-NC), 2026-06-30T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Deliver foreign aid before it spoils: benefit, medium. If enacted, this would make food, medicine, vaccines, and medical devices reach people before they expire. Agencies and aid partners would have to donate or deliver items, not destroy them. Destruction would be allowed only after every effort to sell, donate, or otherwise make them available. If an…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act
- 119-hr-15: Equality Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-4516 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4516)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5390)
- [119-hr-15: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-15)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4516 (as of 2026-07-02).