What is the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act?
On October 1, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to encourage the donation of food and grocery products to non-profit organizations for distribution to needy individuals. This law makes it easier for businesses to donate to food banks and food rescue programs. This act is a Federal law which protects those who donate food in good faith from civil or criminal liability should such donated food later cause harm to a recipient. The law also sets a liability floor of gross negligence or intentional misconduct for persons donating grocery products.
The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act is a federal law designed to encourage the donation of food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations by limiting the legal liability of donors. The Act is named after its sponsor, Bill Emerson, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri. President Bill Clinton signed the Act into law in 1996. To whom does the Act apply? The Act applies to a person or entity that donates food or grocery products in good faith to a nonprofit organization for distribution to needy individuals. How does the Act limit the liability of donors? The Act provides that a donor is not subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the donated food or grocery product in the absence of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. For example, a donor gives a box of cereal to a nonprofit food bank. The food bank gives the cereal to a needy recipient. The recipient becomes ill as a result of eating the cereal. Under the Act, the dono
