Saud Anwar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969

March 9, 2026

With the intention of making it more accessible to people experiencing food insecurity, the Public Health Committee today voted to advance legislation that would allow retail food establishments to donate extra edible food throughout the state.

When one in seven Connecticut residents experience food insecurity, this legislation is intended to reduce food waste and connect more residents in need with new solutions to food insecurity.

“When our state wastes more than 500,000 tons of food every year, and yet hundreds of thousands of residents can’t access the food they need, we have a real problem that seems to have an easy path to fix,” said State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee. “This bill seeks to reduce food waste in grocery stores and other foodservice businesses by connecting them with organizations fighting food insecurity. If it becomes law, we’d help kill two birds with one stone.”

Should it become law, Senate Bill 382, “An Act Concerning Edible Food Recovery,” would require the Departments of Consumer Protection and Public Health to develop and implement guidelines for retail food establishments to donate surplus amounts of edible food to distribution organizations statewide using a food recovery service by the end of 2026.

Following that, every year after would see retail establishments report their donations of edible surplus food to the Department of Consumer Protection, which would then be turned into a report to the legislature to show the effectiveness of the legislation.

The bill received strong support in public testimony, with the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters noting more than 30% of Connecticut’s waste stream consists of food. The bill “would help transform food recovery from waste reduction to a resource distribution system,” lowering costs and improving public nutrition at once, the organization said.

Yale Public Health graduate student Aron Basurto noted in testimony that food insecurity in Connecticut is now the worst in New England and this bill would utilize existing resources to feed struggling residents without spurring new food production.