Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act of 1996
The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act was created to encourage food donation to nonprofit organizations by minimizing liability. Signed into United States law by President Bill Clinton, this law, named after Representative Bill Emerson, makes it easier to donate 'apparently wholesome food' by excluding donor liability except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
Emerson died on June 22, 1996.
The Federal Food Donation Act of 2008 built on this legislation by encouraging federal agencies to donate excess food to nonprofit organizations, utilizing the exemption for civil and criminal liability provided for in the 1996 law. Federal contracts for the purchase of food valued at over $25,000 must make provision for contractors to donate apparently wholesome excess food to nonprofit organizations.
