The Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act

On October 1, 1996, President Clinton signed this act to encourage donations of food and grocery products to non-profit organizations for distribution to needy individuals.

This law:

Protects you from liability when you donate to a non-profit organization
Protects you from civil and criminal liability should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the needy recipient;
Standardizes donor liability exposure. You or your legal counsel no longer have to investigate liability laws in 50 states; and
Sets a floor of “gross negligence” or international misconduct for persons who donate grocery products. According to the new law, gross negligence is defined as “voluntary and conscious conduct by a person with knowledge (at the time of conduct) that the cooduct is likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person.”