SB 382 Connecticut Senate · 2026 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING EDIBLE FOOD RECOVERY.

SB 382 requires supermarkets, manufacturers, and wholesalers (retail food establishments) to donate surplus edible food - like unsold items nearing expiration or with minor packaging damage - to food banks and similar organizations. It mandates the state to develop donation guidelines by January 2027 and requires retailers to report annual donation data starting in 2028. The bill directly affects food retailers, food distribution organizations, and state agencies by creating a structured system for food recovery while ensuring donated food meets safety standards.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 26, 2026 Last action Mar 18, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Raised Bill → PH Joint Favorable Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renamed from a 'Raised Bill' to a 'Substitute Bill' and its scope was narrowed to apply only to large supermarkets (at least 15,000 square feet) rather than all retail food establishments. The definitions were updated to reflect this change, and the reporting requirements now specifically target these large supermarkets instead of the broader group of food wholesalers and manufacturers.

Scope change

The bill's applicability was narrowed from all retail food establishments, wholesalers, and manufacturers to only large supermarkets occupying at least 15,000 square feet.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Retail food establishment' was removed and replaced with a new definition for 'Supermarket' that sets a minimum size requirement of 15,000 square feet.

The definition of 'Surplus edible food' was slightly expanded to explicitly include compliance with 'food safety standards'.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement to develop donation guidelines and submit annual reports was changed to apply specifically to 'supermarkets' instead of the broader category of 'retail food establishments'.

TECHNICAL

The document title was updated from 'Raised Bill' to 'Substitute Bill' and the page count was reduced from 3 to 2 pages.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Joint Favorable Substitute

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Committee

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Public Health

upper

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors