Food Rescue Act

This bill, titled the "Food Rescue Act," proposes to amend the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 by establishing a national food rescue system . This system, to be operated by the Secretary of Agriculture through the Food and Nutrition Service, is designed to coordinate the recovery, processing, transportation, and distribution of surplus and donated food. Its primary goal is to deliver this food to emergency feeding organizations and food-insecure communities across the nation. To achieve its objectives, the bill outlines several key activities, including identifying sources of surplus food, developing partnerships with nonprofit organizations, and strengthening logistics such as cold-chain storage and last-mile delivery. It also mandates support for technology platforms to track and redirect surplus food and the provision of technical assistance to participating entities. A competitive grant program will be established to fund these activities, with grants awarded to food rescue organizations that may partner with various entities like food banks, governments, and logistics providers. Grant funds can be utilized for operations, transportation, storage, technology, personnel, and administrative costs, with the Secretary coordinating efforts with existing USDA food assistance programs.