[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 13, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E351]]
             GOOD SAMARITAN HUNGER RELIEF TAX INCENTIVE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TONY P. HALL

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 13, 2001

  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise to day to introduce the Good 
Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Act. I am pleased to be joined by 
my colleague Richard Baker from Louisiana in co-sponsoring this bill, 
especially given his concern for hungry Americans through his work with 
the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. We join with our esteemed colleagues 
in the Senate, Senators Lugar and Leahy, who have introduced companion 
legislation. They are longstanding champions of programs that help the 
hungry and our nation is enriched by their leadership on this forgotten 
issue.
  Despite our economy's strength, hunger still plagues our nation. It 
directly threatens 31 million Americans, many of them families and 
working people. Many of them are leaving welfare and need help along 
the path to self-sufficiency. many of them are just like you and me, 
except that they are often hungry and must turn to community and faith-
based hunger relief organizations to feed their families. Currently, 
more than 10 percent of our fellow citizens depend on nonprofit food 
distribution organizations for a major part of their nutritional needs.
  I have been working on the issue of hunger for more than fifteen 
years. Now more than ever it is clear that we can cure hunger, that we 
know what to do. Working together, government, non-profit 
organizations, and the private sector can eliminate hunger, but any 
solution must be multi-faceted. Our government needs to improve and 
expand the Food Stamp Program, our nation's front lien of defense 
against widespread hunger. Non-profit food banks need additional 
commodities, especially The emergency food Assistance Program, which 
also benefits our farmers and private donations. And we need to 
encourage the private sector to do their part by donating food and 
other resources.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill focuses on this third facet by encouraging and 
assisting the private sector to donate to hunger relief organizations. 
it would expand the charitable tax deductions to farmers, restaurants 
and other businesses that are not just corporations. And it would 
clarify the treatment of donated food for tax purposes.
  I have introduced a version of this bill for the past two sessions of 
Congress, and am encouraged that the Senate Finance Committee is 
conducting a hearing this week on encouraging charitable giving. I am 
thankful for colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee who are 
supporting this bill and have supported the concept in the past, 
especially Jim Ramstad, John Lewis, Karen Thurman and Amo Houghton. I 
am hopeful that after years of trying we can pass this bill this year.
  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans waste 96 
billion pounds of food every year. That amounts to more than $31 
billion worth of food that is thrown away, or $1,000 worth of food for 
every one of the 31 million people are hungry or at risk of hunger. 
Dumping or plowing under this uneaten food costs our local communities 
more than $1 billion a year in waste management costs. If we could 
recover just 5 percent of the food wasted, we could feed four million 
people. If 10 percent was recovered, 8 million more people would be fed 
and with 25 percent recovered, we would have food for 20 million 
people.
  Giving food to charities makes good sense, and removing the tax 
disincentives to the private sector contributions is a key part of that 
effort. If they help, I am happy to provide a benefit to businesses 
like Pizza Hut, the largest prepared-food donor in the country; or 
Potato Management Company (PMC), a farmers' co-operative that just 
donated 20 million pounds of potatoes to America's Second Harvest; and 
Kraft Foods, one of the largest overall donors to hunger relief 
efforts. The private sector needs to do even more to help us wipe out 
hunger and this bill will assist them with that task.
  I am even happier to help the groups that are on the front line of 
the struggle to end hunger. The Emergency Food Bank in my district of 
Dayton, Ohio does a terrific job in feeding the hungry. They simply 
need some help, and this bill is one way we in Congress can help our 
local food banks. Of course, this bill alone is not sufficient, but it 
is a step in the right direction.
  This bill represents the second generation of Good Samaritan 
legislation. When gleaning and food recovery began to expand two 
decades ago, farmers and businesses needed to know that they were 
protected from liability in acting as Good Samaritans. I was able to 
encourage the state of Ohio to pass liability protection for those who 
open their fields to gleaners or who donate food in good faith. Then, 
in 1996, we were able to enact the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food 
Donation Act, which created liability protection nationwide.
  I hope this Congress and President Bush will turn this new 
legislation into law. It enjoys the support and endorsement of 
America's Second Harvest, the National Council of Chain Restaurants, 
Grocery Manufacturers of America, American Farm Bureau Federation, 
National Restaurant Association, National Farmers Union, National 
Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Fisheries Association and the 
National Milk Producers Federation.
  I look forward to the day when I no longer hear the stories about 
senior citizens skipping meals to pay for their prescriptions, or 
parents cutting way back to make sure their kids have enough to eat, or 
veterans lining up at community kitchens for a hot meal. But before 
that time comes, we have to do everything we can to meet the needs of 
those who are hungry.
  Alone, this bill will not solve the problem of hunger, but it will 
give us another arrow in our quiver. I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this important piece of legislation and bringing us 
significantly closer to ending hunger.

                          ____________________