Senator Marc Panepinto Comments on the Passage of First Anti-Hunger Legislation

ALBANY, N.Y. – Senator Marc Panepinto released the following statement on the passage of his first co-sponsored bill (S.854) combatting poverty and hunger:

“We have all been taught from very young ages that food should never be wasted. My co-sponsored bill tackles this notion head on by increasing the amount of food assistance that New York provides to the poor and disadvantaged. By finally establishing protocols and communication procedures to donate any excess or unused edible food from the more than $2 million school meals that are served every day in our state, we are moving the needle forward on not only a social justice front, but an economic justice one as well. While I will continue fighting for more long term solutions to reducing poverty and hunger such as raising the minimum wage, I am proud to have passed this commonsense legislation which expands relief for so many New Yorkers who go to sleep hungry at night.”

S.854: Directs commissioner of education to establish guidelines providing for donation of excess, unused, edible food from school meals to food assistance programs