(a) Establishment
The Secretary shall establish a Food Loss and Waste Reduction Liaison to coordinate Federal, State, local, and nongovernmental programs, and other efforts, to measure and reduce the incidence of food loss and waste in accordance with this section.
(b) In generalThe Food Loss and Waste Reduction Liaison shall—
(1)
coordinate food loss and waste reduction efforts within the Department of Agriculture and with other Federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration;
(2)
support and promote Federal programs to measure and reduce the incidence of food loss and waste and increase food recovery;
(3)
provide information to, and serve as a resource for, entities engaged in food loss and waste reduction and food recovery, including information about the availability of, and eligibility requirements for, participation in Federal, State, local, and nongovernmental programs;
(4)
raise awareness of the liability protections afforded under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (42 U.S.C. 1791) to persons engaged in food loss and waste reduction and food recovery; and
(c) Cooperative agreementsFor purposes of carrying out the duties under subsection (b), the Food Loss and Waste Reduction Liaison may enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with the research centers of the Research, Education, and Economics mission area, institutions of higher education (as defined in section 1001 of title 20), or nonprofit organizations for—
(d) Study on food wasteThe Secretary shall conduct a study, in consultation with the Food Loss and Waste Reduction Liaison, to evaluate and determine—
(5)
the effectiveness of existing liability protections afforded under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (42 U.S.C. 1791); and
(e) Reports
(1) Initial report
Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, the Food Loss and Waste Liaison shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes the results of the study conducted under subsection (d).
(2) ReportNot later than 1 year after the date of the submission of the report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that contains, with respect to the preceding year—
(Pub. L. 103–354, title II, § 224, as added Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, § 12504, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4987.)