H.R. 6684

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6684 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6684

To provide grants to reduce the amount of food waste, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 12, 2025

Ms. Brownley (for herself, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Casten, and Ms. Tokuda) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To provide grants to reduce the amount of food waste, and for other 
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Zero Food Waste Act''.

SEC. 2. FOOD WASTE REDUCTION GRANTS.

(a) In General.--
(1) Establishment.--The Administrator shall establish and 
carry out a program to award competitive grants as provided in 
paragraph (3).
(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the program established under 
paragraph (1) is to help reduce the amount of food waste by 50 
percent by 2035, relative to such amount in 2015.
(3) Grants.--
(A) Study on food waste generation and food waste 
management planning.--Under the program established 
under paragraph (1), the Administrator may award a 
grant to an eligible entity, excluding any eligible 
entity that is a nonprofit organization, to--
(i) study--
(I) the generation of food waste in 
the State or area in which the eligible 
entity is located or otherwise serves; 
and
(II) policies and programs that 
significantly reduce the amount of food 
waste, including policies and programs 
to carry out food waste reduction 
activities; and
(ii) develop a plan under which such 
eligible entity will carry out at least one 
food waste reduction activity, prioritizing 
prevention to the extent practicable.
(B) Food waste data and reports.--Under the program 
established under paragraph (1), the Administrator may 
award a grant to an eligible entity, excluding any 
eligible entity that is a nonprofit organization, to--
(i) collect data on the amount of food 
waste generated in the State or area in which 
the eligible entity is located or otherwise 
serves; and
(ii) publish, on any publicly available 
website (which may include the website of a 
nongovernmental organization), a monthly or 
quarterly report on the data collected under 
clause (i).
(C) Food waste reduction projects.--Under the 
program established under paragraph (1), the 
Administrator may award a grant to an eligible entity 
to--
(i)(I) carry out or otherwise support a 
food waste reduction activity;
(II) implement a differential pricing 
policy on the disposal of food waste to--
(aa) disincentivize disposing of 
food waste by incineration or deposit 
in a landfill; and
(bb) incentivize carrying out food 
waste reduction activities;
(III) pay for or provide technical 
assistance to carry out a food waste reduction 
activity;
(IV) implement restrictions on disposing of 
food waste by incineration or deposit in a 
landfill;
(V) implement food waste reduction activity 
requirements;
(VI) implement demand-stimulating policies 
for recycling end-markets; or
(VII) carry out any other activity the 
Administrator determines will reduce the amount 
of food waste in the applicable area; and
(ii) collect data and publish reports as 
described in subparagraph (B).
(b) Applications.--
(1) In general.--To apply for a grant under this section, 
an eligible entity shall submit to the Administrator an 
application at such time and in such form as the Administrator 
may require, which such application shall demonstrate how the 
eligible entity will use the grant in accordance with 
subsection (a)(3).
(2) Nonprofit organizations.--In the case of an application 
from an eligible entity that is a nonprofit organization, the 
application shall include--
(A) a letter of support for the proposed use of the 
grant from--
(i) the relevant local government, 
territorial government, Tribal government, or 
State; or
(ii) another nonprofit organization that--
(I) has a demonstrated history of 
undertaking work in the geographic 
region where the proposed use of the 
grant is to take place, as determined 
by the Administrator; and
(II) would not be involved in the 
proposed use of the grant; and
(B) any other information the Administrator may 
require.
(3) Prioritization.--In awarding grants under this section, 
the Administrator shall--
(A) seek to award grants for use in diverse 
locations and for diverse uses; and
(B) prioritize awarding grants to--
(i) any eligible entity, excluding any 
eligible entity that is a nonprofit 
organization, that--
(I) implements a program to carry 
out food waste reduction activities; or
(II) has a demonstrated need, as 
determined by the Administrator, for 
additional investment in infrastructure 
or other resources to be able to 
implement a program to carry out food 
waste reduction activities; or
(ii) an eligible entity that will use such 
grant as provided in subsection (a)(3)(C)(i) in 
a community of color, low-income community, or 
Tribal community that has been 
disproportionately affected by adverse human 
health or environmental effects.
(4) Anaerobic digestion projects.--With respect to any 
grant awarded under subsection (a)(3)(C) to carry out an 
anaerobic digestion project, the Administrator shall--
(A) require that the applicant submit a plan for 
end-product recycling that, in accordance with 
guidelines the Administrator shall establish--
(i) provides for the use of the material 
resulting from the project as a soil amendment; 
and
(ii) ensures that the use of the material 
resulting from the project does not create an 
environmental hazard; and
(B) require the eligible entity that is carrying 
out the project--
(i) to limit its use of animal waste to not 
more than 20 percent of the total feedstock of 
the project; and
(ii) to only use source separated organics 
as the portion of the total feedstock that is 
not animal waste.
(c) Reporting.--
(1) Effect of use of grant.--Each eligible entity that 
receives a grant under this section shall submit to the 
Administrator a report, at such time and in such form as the 
Administrator may require, on the results of the use of the 
grant, which such report shall include any relevant data 
requested by the Administrator for purposes of tracking the 
effectiveness of the program established under subsection 
(a)(1).
(2) Annual report.--The Administrator shall submit to 
Congress and make publicly available on the website of the 
Environmental Protection Agency an annual report describing--
(A) the effectiveness of the program established 
under subsection (a)(1) at reducing the amount of food 
waste by 50 percent by 2035, relative to such amount in 
2015, including information on the progress of such 
reduction; and
(B) how the Administrator is promoting learning 
among grantees and other stakeholders to better achieve 
results.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $650,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2035, to remain available until expended.
(e) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a State, a local government, a territorial 
government, or a Tribal government;
(B) a nonprofit organization; or
(C) a partnership of two or more of any of the 
entities described in subparagraphs (A) and (B).
(3) Food waste.--The term ``food waste'' means any uneaten 
food and inedible parts of food.
(4) Food waste reduction activity.--The term ``food waste 
reduction activity'' means any method or activity that reduces 
the amount of food waste disposed of in landfills or 
incinerated, including through prevention, rescue, upcycling, 
and recycling.
(5) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
organization'' means an organization that is described in 
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 
U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) and is exempt from taxation under section 
501(a) of such Code.
(6) Prevent.--The term ``prevent'' means to forestall the 
generation of food waste.
(7) Recycle.--The term ``recycle'' means to reuse food 
waste as a feedstock for a non-food product.
(8) Rescue.--The term ``rescue'' means to redirect surplus 
food for consumption.
(9) Source separated organics.--
(A) In general.--The term ``source separated 
organics'' means organic waste that is separated from 
other waste by the waste generator.
(B) Inclusion.--The term ``source separated 
organics'' includes materials that are certified to 
meet ASTM standard D6400 or D6868.
(C) Exclusion.--The term ``source separated 
organics'' excludes mixed solid waste.
(10) Upcycle.--The term ``upcycle'' means to make new food 
from ingredients that otherwise would become food waste.
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