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Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa Bill Shields Food Dealers and Commercial Transporters from Liability When Donating Surplus Food
Last action · April 1, 2025: Tabled until future meeting.Sponsor: Adrian Dickey
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What This Bill Proposed
Senate File 359 limits civil liability for licensed food dealers and owners who donate wholesome surplus food and transportation services to an Iowa food bank association, provided they lack knowledge that the food would cause harm and maintain proper safety licenses and temperature controls.
Licensed food establishments, meat processors, milk plants, and commercial carriers receive legal protection against lawsuits arising from food donations, provided they adhere to active licensing, safe handling temperatures, and accurate labeling requirements.
- Iowa Code chapter 190B governs agricultural food donations and emergency food purchase programs. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Food dealers
Food establishments and processing plants receive civil liability protections when donating evidently safe surplus food under valid licenses.
Commercial vehicle owners
Owners of commercial vehicles hauling donated food obtain civil liability protections provided their vehicles are properly licensed and temperature controls are met.
Iowa food bank association
The association receives donated food and transportation services from protected dealers and carriers.
Key Facts
- Food dealers and commercial vehicle owners are exempt from civil liability for injury, loss, or death caused by consuming donated evidently safe food, provided they had no actual knowledge that the food would likely cause harm.
- Evidently safe food is defined as food a reasonable person would consider safe to consume despite minor labeling or retail marketability issues, excluding alcohol and items under a government stop order or court injunction.
- Food dealers eligible for the liability shield include licensed food establishments, food processing plants, meat and poultry processing establishments, and permitted milk plants.
- Commercial vehicle owners qualify for the shield if they pay or donate transportation costs for hauling the donated food using a properly licensed vehicle under chapter 321.
Show all 6 facts
- The liability protection does not apply if the donor's license is suspended, if required time and temperature controls for safety are not met, or if the food is intentionally falsely advertised or declared unsafe by the dealer.
- The provisions are codified under a new subchapter in Iowa Code chapter 190B.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies as a food dealer under this bill?
What conditions must commercial vehicle owners meet to receive liability protection?
Does the liability shield cover alcohol or food subject to a stop order?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Tabled in the House.
Procedural history
14 actions- Apr 1, 2025Iowa LegislatureTabled until future meeting.
- Mar 31, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 04/01/2025 12:00PM RM 304.
- Mar 27, 2025HouseSubcommittee: Wills, J., Bagniewski and Lundgren. H.J. 868 .
- Mar 24, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time, referred to Commerce. H.J. 789 .
- Mar 24, 2025HouseMessage from Senate. H.J. 777 .
- Mar 24, 2025SenateImmediate message. S.J. 619 .
Show 8 earlier actions
- Mar 24, 2025SenateFloorPassed Senate , yeas 49, nays 0. S.J. 618 .
- Mar 10, 2025SenateCommittee report, approving bill. S.J. 479 .
- Mar 10, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 463 .
- Mar 10, 2025SenateCommittee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 590 . S.J. 479 .
- Feb 25, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
- Feb 20, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 02/25/2025 10:00AM Room G15.
- Feb 20, 2025SenateSubcommittee: Green, Blake, and Driscoll. S.J. 328 .
- Feb 18, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, referred to State Government. S.J. 296 .
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Reference to SF 590
The official record indicates that the subject matter of SF 359 is connected to Senate File 590.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 55)
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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