Legislation to Address Food Waste and Food Insecurity in CT

capitol
May 16, 2022

Did you know that food waste makes up 23% of CT’s waste stream, yet 15% of our state population is food insecure? 

Last week at the Capitol, we passed two pieces of legislation to address food waste and food insecurity in Connecticut. 

The food donation bill, which I proposed to the General Law Committee and co-sponsored, passed unanimously in the House! HB 5146 develops a taskforce to bring key stakeholders to the table to determine how we better connect the dots between excess supermarket food and those in our communities in need. Click below for my remarks on the House floor:
Thank you to the food rescue volunteers that work tirelessly in our communities and to State Rep. Mike D'Agostino for his leadership on this important issue. 
We also passed a bill to alleviate food insecurity among college students. It's estimated that 30% of college students experience food insecurity, which lead to lower academic performance, depression, poor physical health and low retention.

HB 5301 works to identify the nutritional needs of students and establish strategies to combat food insecurity at our colleges and universities.