Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 96 Part 1.djvu/830

 96 STAT. 788

PUBLIC LAW 97-253—SEPT. 8, 1982 critical daily, while the availability of goods and services to meet the needs of such people is rapidly diminishing; (4) soup kitchens, food banks, and other organizations which provide food to the hungry report an astronomical increase in the number of persons seeking the assistance of such organizations; (5) according to a study completed by the General Accounting Office in 1977, one hundred and thirty-seven million tons of food, or more than 20 per centum of this country's total annual food production, is wasted or discarded in the United States each year; (6) at wholesale and retail food distributors, shipping terminals, and other establishments all across the country, enormous quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables and dated dairy and bakery products are discarded each day, while growing numbers of Americans go to bed hungry and undernourished each night; (7) in these times of budget constraints and appeals for reductions in Federal spending, the use of private resources to meet the basic food requirements of our citizens should be encouraged; and (8) many States and local governments have not enacted laws which limit the liability of food donors, such as so-called Good Samaritan Acts and donor liability laws, and thus have discouraged donation of food to the needy by private persons. (b) It is the sense of the Congress that— (1) departments and agencies of the Federal Government should take such steps as may be necessary to distribute to hungry people of the United States surplus food or food which would otherwise be discarded; (2) State and local governments which have not yet enacted so-called Good Samaritan or donor liability laws to encourage private cooperative efforts to provide food for hungry people within their respective jurisdictions should do so as quickly as possible; and (3) wholesale and retail food distributors, shipping terminals, and other establishments should work more closely with religious, community, and other charitable organizations to make wholesome food which is currently being wasted or discarded by such establishments available for immediate distribution to hungry people of the United States. EFFECTIVE DATES OF PRIOR AMENDMENTS TO THE FOOD STAMP ACT OF 1977

7 USC 2012 note. SEC. 192. (a) Notwithstanding section 117 of the Omnibus Budget 95 Stat. 366. Reconciliation Act of 1981 (7 U.S.C. 2012 note), the amendments 95 Stat. 358-363. made by sections 101 through 114 of such Act, other than sections 107(b) and 108(c) of such Act, shall take effect on the earlier of the date of the enactment of this subtitle or the date on which such amendments became effective pursuant to section 117 of such Act. (b) Notwithstanding section 1338 of the Agriculture and Food Act 95 Stat. 1294. of 1981 (7 U.S.C. 2012 note), the amendments made by sections 1302 95 Stat. through 1333 of such Act shall take effect on the earlier of the date 1282-1291. Q£ ^jjg enactment of this subtitle or the date on which such amendments became effective pursuant to section 1338 of such Act.

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