§9071a Dairy Donation Program

Summary

Within 60 days after December 27, 2020, the Secretary must set up and run a dairy donation program to help get U.S.-made dairy products to people quickly and to cut food waste. Key terms: eligible dairy organization (the group defined elsewhere that can take part), eligible dairy product (a U.S.-made dairy item mostly from milk), eligible distributor (a nonprofit that gives the donated dairy to people), and eligible partnership (a team of an eligible dairy organization and an eligible distributor). To get paid, a partnership must file a plan that explains how it will donate, process, transport, store briefly, and distribute the dairy. The Secretary will review the plan within 15 business days and approve or deny it, giving faster review and payment priority if an emergency or disaster played a big role (for example a declared public health emergency or a Secretary-designated disaster). Approved dairy groups get reimbursed at the rate of a set reimbursement price times the milk volume used. The price must reflect milk cost, be between the lowest and highest of class I–IV milk prices on the product’s production date, help avoid waste, and not hurt normal milk markets. The Secretary can use different prices by product class or region for several market-stabilizing reasons. Partners must give proof of production and donation. Distributors may not sell donated dairy; violators are barred. The Secretary will audit the program, post reports on the Agricultural Marketing Service website, and has $400,000,000 available until spent.