HB 25-1059

House Bill 25-1059, also known as the Food Waste Reduction in Public Schools Act, encourages Colorado public schools to create policies that reduce food waste. These policies can include composting, donating extra food to local nonprofits, or setting up share tables where students can redistribute untouched but safe food items. The bill ensures that these initiatives comply with health and safety regulations and provides immunity from liability for school staff involved in implementing such programs. Since the bill has been signed into law, Colorado public schools are now encouraged to adopt these waste-reducing practices.

Official Summary

The act encourages each local education provider to adopt a policy to reduce food waste in school cafeterias and food preparation facilities (policy). The policy may address food waste diversion and aversion initiatives, including composting, donation of excess food to local nonprofits, or share table programs that permit students to return whole food or beverage items for redistribution to other students. A local education provider that implements a policy shall comply with all applicable sanitation and health requirements, including protocols to prevent student exposure to allergens, and shall require school personnel to complete related safety training. Current law establishes the Colorado circular communities enterprise (enterprise) to award grants and other funding and to provide technical assistance to certain entities throughout the state that pursue a circular economy for waste management, including waste diversion and aversion. The act requires the enterprise to consider reducing food waste by incentivizing public schools to develop and implement effective composting, excess food donation, or share table programs. The act extends limited immunity from civil and criminal liability to school personnel and local education providers that supervise food and beverage redistribution in accordance with policies that include share tables. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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