04/04/2017 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

                     HB 186-FOOD DONATIONS                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:35:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ  announced that the  next order of  business would                                                              
be HOUSE BILL NO.  186, "An Act relating to the  donation of food;                                                              
and relating to food banks."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:35:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ELIJAH  VERHAGEN,  Staff,  Representative  Dave  Talerico,  Alaska                                                              
State Legislature,  said that the intent of the  proposed bill was                                                              
to decrease  the amount  of wasted  food in  Alaska, and  increase                                                              
the  amount of  food donated  to charitable  organizations and  to                                                              
food banks.   He relayed that  the proposed bill added  food banks                                                              
and  charitable  organizations  to  the  list of  groups  able  to                                                              
receive donations  from any businesses  that chose to  donate, and                                                              
that these  businesses  would be  free from liability.   He  added                                                              
that the  proposed bill added hot  food for donation,  which could                                                              
be labelled and  given to people who would otherwise  not have had                                                              
the food.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:36:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SULLIVAN-LEONARD   commented  on   the  challenges                                                              
faced with  a large, local store,  Fred Meyer, throwing  food into                                                              
the dumpster instead of making a donation.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. VERHAGEN  said that there had  been discussions with  the Food                                                              
Bank, and  that with passage of  the proposed bill, the  Food Bank                                                              
could speak  again with the  larger stores, including  Fred Meyer.                                                              
He  stated  that   there  had  also  been  discussions   with  the                                                              
corporate headquarters for a change in their policy.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:38:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SULLIVAN-LEONARD  suggested that although  this was                                                              
opening  the  door  for participation,  it  was  not  guaranteeing                                                              
this.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:38:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ opened public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:38:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WILLIAM HARRINGTON,  read from a  prepared statement,  which said,                                                              
in part:                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     to  completely absolve  someone  or  an organization  of                                                                   
     responsibility  in the safe  handling of perishable  and                                                                   
     potentially  toxic   food  gifted  on   an  unsuspecting                                                                   
     public,   is   the   height   of   irresponsibility   by                                                                   
     government.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARRINGTON  said that spoiled  food was  not a gift,  and that                                                              
"the standards imposed  by the science of safe  food handling must                                                              
be  enforced through  inspection  and  user responsibility."    He                                                              
stated that the  proposed bill would lead to  a mass contamination                                                              
with  no  one responsible,  and  he  shared  an anecdote  of  food                                                              
poisoning  from a food  truck.   He asked  that those who  receive                                                              
the food should  never be "put at  the peril or lose  the right to                                                              
be completely compensated for harm."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:41:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ closed public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:41:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  EDGMON moved  to report  HB 186  out of  committee                                                              
with  individual  recommendations   and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                              
notes.   There  being  no objection,  HB 186  was  moved from  the                                                              
House Health and Social Services Standing Committee.