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Bill

HB 1413

RELATING TO CRIME.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Julie Reyes Oda

Creates a statewide Safe Food Donation Program allowing licensed food businesses to donate surplus foods to charities, with safety rules and donor liability protections.

Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
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Bill Summary · HB 1413

Summary — HB 1413 (North Dakota): Safe Food Donation Program

Note: Several different bills numbered HB 1413 exist in other states on unrelated topics. This summary addresses the North Dakota version titled “an Act to create and enact a new chapter to title 19 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the creation of a safe food donation program,” as provided.

Main purpose

Create a statewide safe food donation program to promote and facilitate donation of surplus food from licensed food businesses to charitable organizations while protecting public health and limiting donor liability.

Key provisions

  • Establishes a new chapter in Title 19 creating a “Safe Food Donation Program.”
  • Program participation and eligibility
    • Entities wishing to donate food must be licensed under NDCC § 23‑09‑16 (food establishment licensing).
    • Charitable organizations receiving donated food are not required to have a commercial kitchen or state certification to participate.
  • Food safety requirements and oversight
    • Charitable organizations must follow food handling standards set by the local public health unit.
    • Local public health units are responsible to:
    • Inspect licensed entities participating in the program;
    • Verify certification of any individual handling food on behalf of a charitable organization; and
    • Establish safety guidelines and regulate local program activity.
    • The Department (presumably the state health or agriculture department identified in statute) must:
    • Establish inspection procedures; and
    • Provide educational resources to inform participants about safe donation practices.
  • Liability and protections
    • Donors operating under the program are afforded protection consistent with subsection 2 of NDCC § 32‑03.1‑02.2, provided they comply with the established safety guidelines.
    • Charitable organizations are required to comply with local safety guidelines to protect recipients’ health.
  • Program support and incentives
    • The Department may create grant and partnership opportunities to support participating entities and encourage broader adoption.

Who would be affected

  • Donors: licensed food establishments and other entities licensed under § 23‑09‑16 that donate surplus food.
  • Charitable organizations: food pantries, shelters, and similar groups (no commercial kitchen/certification required, but must follow local safety rules).
  • Local public health units: increased responsibility for inspection, certification verification, guideline development, and regulation.
  • State department administering the program: responsible for procedures, education, and potential grant administration.
  • Recipients of donated food: protected by required safety standards.

Potential impacts and implementation notes

  • Likely to reduce food waste and increase availability of rescued food to those in need.
  • Could lower barriers for charities to receive donated food (no commercial kitchen requirement).
  • Increased workload and administrative costs for local public health units (inspections, enforcement, guideline drafting) and for the state agency administering the program; grant/partnership authority may partially offset costs but no specific appropriation is included in the text provided.
  • Liability protections for compliant donors may encourage participation.
  • No explicit effective date in the excerpt; verify enacted language and effective date if adopted.

Procedural status (as provided)

  • Introduced: November 19, 2024.
  • Status shown: Second reading — failed to pass (yeas 0, nays 91). Confirm current status with the legislative clerk or official roster, since multiple actions and similarly numbered bills in other jurisdictions appear in the record.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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