Assembly Member Paula Elaine Kay announced that Governor Kathy Hochul has聽 signed into law her legislation expanding the provisions of the state鈥檚 food recycling and donation program聽 pertaining to supermarkets that don鈥檛 meet the threshold to be a Designated Food Scraps Generator for another five years until Dec. 31, 2031. Senator Pete Harckham sponsored the bill in the Senate.
The food donation and recycling law (S.9452 / A.10344) requires that smaller supermarkets that don鈥檛 meet聽 the threshold to be a Designated Food Scraps Generator engage in good faith with food relief organizations聽 who reach out in writing asking for donations of excess edible food. In this manner, the smaller stores can聽 do their part to divert edible food from landfills and assist with the hunger crisis, without onerous or costly聽 requirements.
鈥淔ighting food insecurity has been a pillar of my legislative agenda since arriving in Albany, and it will聽 continue to be until we make meaningful progress in addressing this growing problem,鈥� Kay said, 鈥淭his legislation is a crucial tool for the organizations on the front lines of this fight, helping ensure that more food reaches those who need it rather than rotting in landfills. I鈥檓 grateful to Senator Harckham for being a great partner on this and Governor Hochul for joining us in this effort and聽 signing this legislation into law.鈥�