HB1523 • 2026

Food Waste Reduction

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rayner ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Joseph
Last action: 2026-03-13
Official status: House - Died in Education Administration Subcommittee
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify the gradual elimination of single-use plastics by schools, only that it is subject to legislative appropriation.

Food Waste Reduction Act

This bill requires Florida's Department of Education to develop a policy for reducing food waste in K-12 schools and mandates school districts to adopt this policy by specific deadlines.

What This Bill Does

Creates a new law that needs the Department of Education to make rules about how schools can reduce wasted food.
Requires at least one-quarter of Florida's school districts to follow these rules starting in the 2027-2028 school year.
By the start of the 2029-2030 school year, all school districts must be following the new waste reduction rules.
Schools need to work with local food banks or nonprofits to give away leftover edible cafeteria food and compost organic waste.
Schools should set up a system for sorting cafeteria trash.

Who It Names or Affects

Florida's Department of Education
K-12 school districts in Florida

Terms To Know

Composting: A process where organic waste like food scraps is broken down into a soil-like material that can be used to grow plants.
Single-use plastics: Plastic items designed for one-time use, such as straws or plastic bags.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the Department of Education will fund these initiatives.
It is unclear if all school districts will have access to local nonprofits or food banks that can help with redistributing edible cafeteria food and composting organic waste.

Bill History

2026-03-13 House
• Died in Education Administration Subcommittee
2026-01-15 House
• Referred to Education Administration Subcommittee • Referred to Education & Employment Committee • Now in Education Administration Subcommittee
2026-01-13 House
• 1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
2026-01-09 House
• Filed

Official Summary Text

Food Waste Reduction; Requires DOE to develop specified policy relating to food waste reduction in K-12 schools; provides policy requirements, adoption rates for such policy, & school district requirements.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB 1523 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1523-00
Page 1 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to food waste reduction; creating s. 2
1013.121, F.S.; requiring the Department of Education 3
to develop a specified policy; requiring school 4
districts to adopt the policy within a specified 5
timeframe; providing requirements for the policy; 6
requiring each participating school district to submit 7
a report to the department by a specified date; 8
providing requirements for the report; providing an 9
effective date. 10
11
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 12
13
Section 1. Section 1013.121, Florida Statutes, is created 14
to read: 15
1013.121 School food and plastic waste reduction.— 16
(1) The Department of Education shall develop a policy to 17
be adopted by 25 percent of school districts in this state by 18
the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year and to be adopted by 19
100 percent of school districts in this state by the beginning 20
of the 2029-2030 school year, which requires all of the 21
following: 22
(a) A partnership with a local nonprofit organization or 23
food bank to redistribute edible cafeteria food and divert 24
organic food waste to a composting program. 25

HB 1523 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1523-00
Page 2 of 2
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

(b) Installation of a sorting system for cafeteria waste, 26
subject to legislative appropriation. 27
(c) Gradual elimination of single-use plastics by 28
replacing them with reusable or compostable alternatives, 29
subject to legislative appropriation. 30
(2) Each participating school district shall submit an 31
annual report to the department by the end of each school year 32
which includes all of the following: 33
(a) Total quantity by weight of cafeteria food donated. 34
(b) Total quantity by weight of organic food waste 35
diverted to a composting program. 36
(c) Total quantity of single-use plastic items eliminated. 37
(d) Cost savings realized by the school district. 38
(e) Any barriers encountered and recommendations for the 39
policy. 40
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 41