Note on source materials
- The Bill Information header you supplied names an appropriations bill for the City of Jackson (HB 1682). The legislative text you attached, however, is an Arkansas House Bill titled the “Good Neighbor Act” (proposed Arkansas Code changes concerning food-donation liability and immunity) and is sponsored by Representatives and Senators listed in that text. This summary focuses on the Arkansas Good Neighbor Act text you provided (Ark. HB 1682 — proposed additions/repeals to Ark. Code § 20-57), since that is the substantive document included.
Summary: "Arkansas Good Neighbor Act" (proposed HB 1682)
Purpose and intent
- To clarify and expand legal liability and immunity protections related to donation of food and food products to churches, religious organizations, and other nonprofit organizations. The bill aims to encourage food donations (including gleaning) while protecting donors and nonprofit distributors from civil/criminal exposure so long as donations are made and used in good faith and recipients are informed of the food’s condition.
Key provisions and changes
- Repeals Arkansas Code § 20-57-103 (an existing donor immunity provision).
- Adds a new section, § 20-57-105, titled the "Arkansas Good Neighbor Act — Food donation liability and immunity," that:
- Establishes definitions for terms such as “food,” “food product,” “gleaner” (someone who harvests donated crops), and “person” (broadly defined to include retailers, wholesalers, hotels, restaurants, caterers, farmers, nonprofit food distributors, schools, churches, hospitals, and governing officers).
- Provides civil and criminal immunity to:
- Donors and gleaners who donate food or food products to churches, religious organizations, or other nonprofit organizations for consumption by people served by those organizations — provided the donation is made in good faith and the donor/gleaner informs the nonprofit of the food’s condition to the best of their knowledge.
- Nonprofit organizations that receive and distribute such donated food — provided they distribute in good faith and inform recipients about the condition of the food at the time of serving or distribution to the best of their knowledge.
- Preserves liability for cases that are the direct result of gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct.
- Preserves the authority of appropriate agencies to regulate or ban the use of food known to be unfit for human consumption.
- Requires notice to state-licensed or permitted food producers/distributors about the donation liability/immunity provisions.
Who or what would be affected
- Donors: retail grocers, wholesalers, restaurants, caterers, hotels/motels, farmers, food distributors, and gleaners (persons harvesting donated crops).
- Recipients/distributors: churches, religious organizations, other nonprofit organizations, schools, hospitals and the individuals those organizations serve.
- State regulatory agencies retain authority to prohibit use of food known unfit for consumption.
- Potentially increases the volume and types of food available for charitable distribution by lowering donors' legal risk.
Procedural / timeline aspects and current status
- The draft text is labeled as Arkansas House Bill 1682 for the 95th General Assembly (Regular Session, 2025).
- Introduced date per your header: December 20, 2024.
- Bill status per your header: Died in Committee (i.e., it did not advance to enactment in that session).
- If enacted, the bill would repeal § 20-57-103 and create § 20-57-105 in Ark. Code Title 20, Ch. 57, Subch. 1.
Potential impact
- Likely to encourage increased food donations and gleaning by reducing liability concerns for donors and charitable distributors.
- Could broaden charitable food supply for food-insecure populations.
- Leaves open public-health safeguards by preserving regulatory authority and excluding gross negligence/intentional misconduct from immunity.
- May prompt operational changes for nonprofits (formalizing disclosure to recipients) and require education/notice to licensed food producers/distributors about the new legal regime.
If you want, I can:
- Produce a short explainer aimed at donors or nonprofits describing practical compliance steps under the bill (what to document, what disclosures to make).
- Prepare a side-by-side comparison of current Arkansas law (§ 20-57-103) vs. the proposed § 20-57-105.
