North Dakota House Bill HB1413

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/13/25
• Refer: 1/13/25
• Report DNP: 1/23/25

Caption

The creation of a safe food donation program.

Impact

This legislation represents a significant shift in the management of food donations in North Dakota, allowing for a more streamlined approach. By establishing the program, the state aims to enhance food safety practices while also encouraging charitable organizations to participate without the burden of extensive regulatory requirements. Local public health units will be tasked with inspecting participating entities and ensuring compliance with established safety guidelines, thus ensuring the health of recipients.

Summary

House Bill 1413 aims to create a safe food donation program under a new chapter within Title 19 of the North Dakota Century Code. The program is designed to facilitate the donation of food from licensed entities to charitable organizations, thereby reducing food waste and improving food security. Specific provisions require that entities wishing to donate food must be licensed and that charitable organizations receiving the food do not need to maintain a commercial kitchen or have formal certifications from the department, provided they adhere to local food handling standards.

Contention

There may be concerns surrounding the implementation of the program regarding the adequacy of food safety inspections and the training provided to both donors and charitable organizations. While the bill offers liability protection to donors following the established safety guidelines, critics may question whether local public health units have sufficient resources to enforce compliance and promote awareness effectively. Ensuring that food donation practices are both safe and effective will be key to the bill's success as it moves forward.