Academic

11-year-old's idea may become law to help feed the homeless

By Jacqueline Dowd

"If you think there's a problem in the world," said Jack Davis, "you don't wait for other people to fix it. You have to try to fix it yourself." He lives in Miami Shores.

Jack Davis is only 11, but he had a pretty grown-up idea: He was disturbed to learn that Florida restaurants throw out food that could be given to the hungry and the homeless -- because the restaurant owners could be sued if anyone who ate the food became ill or developed food poisoning.

Jack's idea was to pass a law that would give restaurant owners' some protection from lawsuits. He got his dad to float the idea to some Florida legislators.

House Bill 99 was filed by Rep. Ari Porth and has now been passed unanimously by the Committee on Constitution & Civil Law.

Jack was named ABC News' Person of the Week.

Full post as published by the 13th juror on January 28, 2008 (boomark / email).