Limiting liability for food distributors who donate food to charitable or nonprofit organizations or certain government entities

Sponsored by the Senate State Government Committee, Sen. Adrian Dickey (R)

Topics:Business & economy

Same legislation: SF 359

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Official bill page Lobbyist declarations One-pager to print

Where it is now

Done: IntroducedFebruary 18, 2025
Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 20, 2025
Done: Senate committeeMarch 10, 2025
Done: Passes the SenateMarch 24, 202549–0
Stopped: House committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
Next: Passes the House
Next: To the Governor
Next: Signed into law

Died when the session ended The General Assembly adjourned on October 2, 2026. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?

What’s in it

1 providing that a person is exempt from criminal or civil liability for donating food to a charitable or nonprofit organization or to the department of natural resources or a county conservation board so long as the person is acting in good faith. The charitable or nonprofit organization must distribute the food free to needy individuals. The department of natural resources or a county conservation board must use the food as part of a free interpretive educational program. The Code section includes a list of persons who are expressly granted the exemption, including a gleaner, restaurant, food establishment, food service establishment, school, manufacturer of foodstuffs, or meat or poultry processing establishment.

Read the full explanation

The bill provides that a food distributor is included in the list.

From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Amendments adopted later aren’t reflected. Full bill text

House subcommittee

Named March 27, 2025. Meeting: Tuesday, April 1 · 12:00 PM · RM 304.

Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part

Iowa Code it changes

Amends§672.1

Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works

Lobbying

0 for · 0 against · 8 undecided · Who →

Family tree

Where this legislation came from and where it went: earlier tries, the versions it moved through this Assembly, and later bills built on it.

91st General Assembly

SF 359Renumbered SF 590Passed a chamberfrom SF 359

Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title; check the text to be sure it’s the same idea.