(1) The Washington center for sustainable food management is established within the department, to begin operations by January 1, 2024.

(2) The purpose of the center is to help coordinate statewide food waste reduction.

(3) The center may perform the following activities:

(a) Coordinate the implementation of the plan;

(b) Draft plan updates and measure progress towards actions, strategies, and the statewide goals established in RCW 70A.205.007 and 70A.205.715(1);

(c) Maintain a website with current food waste reduction information and guidance for food service establishments, consumers, food processors, hunger relief organizations, and other sources of food waste;

(d) Provide staff support to multistate food waste reduction initiatives in which the state is participating;

(e) Maintain the consistency of the plan and other food waste reduction activities with the work of the Washington state conservation commission’s food policy forum;

(f) Facilitate and coordinate public-private and nonprofit partnerships focused on food waste reduction, including through voluntary working groups;

(g) Collaborate with federal, state, and local government partners on food waste reduction initiatives;

(h) Develop and maintain maps or lists of locations of the food systems of Washington that identify food flows, where waste occurs, and opportunities to prevent food waste;

(i)(i) Collect and maintain data on food waste and wasted food in a manner that is generally consistent with the methods of collecting and maintaining such data used by federal agencies or in other jurisdictions, or both, to the greatest extent practicable;

(ii) Develop measurement methodologies and tools to uniformly track food donation data, food waste prevention data, and associated climate impacts resultant from food waste reduction efforts;

(j) Research and develop emerging organic materials and food waste reduction markets;

(k)(i) Develop and maintain statewide food waste reduction and food waste contamination reduction campaigns, in consultation with other state agencies and other stakeholders, including the development of waste prevention and food waste recovery promotional materials for distribution. These promotional materials may include online information, newsletters, bulletins, or handouts that inform food service establishment operators about the protections from civil and criminal liability under federal law and under RCW 69.80.031 when donating food; and

(ii) Develop guidance to support the distribution of promotional materials, including distribution by:

(A) Local health officers, at no cost to regulated food service establishments, including as part of normal, routine inspections of food service establishments; and

(B) State agencies, including the department of health and the department of agriculture, in conjunction with their statutory roles and responsibilities in regulating, monitoring, and supporting safe food supply chains and systems;

(l) Distribute and monitor grants dedicated to food waste prevention, rescue, and recovery; and

(m) Research and provide education, outreach, and technical assistance to local governments in support of the adoption of solid waste ordinances or policies that establish a financial disincentive for the generation of organic waste and for the ultimate disposal of organic materials in landfills.

(4) The department may enter into an interagency agreement with the department of health, the department of agriculture, or other state agencies as necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the center.

(5) The department may adopt any rules necessary to implement this chapter including, but not limited to, measures for the center’s performance.

Findings—Intent—Scope of authority of chapter 180, Laws of 2022—2022 c 180: See notes following RCW 70A.205.007.