2024 -- S 2622 | |
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LC005111 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS IN FOOD- | |
SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS | |
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Introduced By: Senator Bridget Valverde | |
Date Introduced: March 01, 2024 | |
Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Section 23-20.12-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-20.12 entitled "Food |
2 | Allergy Awareness in Food-Service Establishments" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
3 | 23-20.12-2. Department of Health — Establishment of Food Allergy Awareness |
4 | Program. |
5 | (a) The director of health shall establish a food allergy awareness program which shall |
6 | require that every food-service establishment shall: (1) Have prominently displayed a poster |
7 | approved by the director relative to food allergy awareness in the staff area. The poster shall |
8 | provide, but not be limited to, information regarding the risk of an allergic reaction and shall be |
9 | developed by the department of health in consultation with the Rhode Island hospitality association, |
10 | the food allergy and anaphylaxis-network and at least one representative from a quick service |
11 | restaurant; (2) Include on all menus a notice to customers of the customer’s obligation to inform |
12 | the server about any food allergies. The director shall develop and approve the language of the |
13 | notice in consultation with the Rhode Island hospitality association, the food allergy and |
14 | anaphylaxis-network and at least one representative from a quick service restaurant; and shall |
15 | include, at a minimum, the following language: Before placing your order, please inform your |
16 | server if any person in your party has a food allergy. Consumers especially vulnerable to foodborne |
17 | illnesses should eat seafood and other foods of animal origin only if cooked thoroughly. Food |
18 | allergens can cause serious illness, anaphylaxis shock and death; and (3) Designate a manager who |
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1 | shall be knowledgeable with regard to the relevant issues concerning food allergies as they relate |
2 | to food preparation. The director shall prepare and provide both written and video materials for |
3 | mandatory review by persons designated as managers of any food-service establishment, or the |
4 | persons designated as managers shall be certified by a food protection manager certification |
5 | program that is evaluated and listed by a conference for food protection-recognized accrediting |
6 | agency as conforming to the conference for food protection standards for accreditation of food |
7 | protection manager certification programs. The department of health shall include knowledge of |
8 | food allergy issues as part of the certification procedure for managers in food safety pursuant to |
9 | chapter 27 of title 21. |
10 | (b) The department of health shall provide for a system to digitally inspect or conduct in |
11 | person inspections of every menu at every restaurant licensed to operate in the State of Rhode Island |
12 | to ensure that each establishment is in compliance with the provisions of this section. |
13 | (c) Any restaurant that fails to comply with the menu warning as provided in this section |
14 | shall, for a first offense receive a written warning, and for any subsequent offense be fined up to |
15 | five hundred dollars ($500). |
16 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2025. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS IN FOOD- | |
SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS | |
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1 | This act would require food service establishments to add an additional warning to their |
2 | menus relative to food allergens and impose a civil penalty on those establishments that fail to |
3 | include the required warnings on its menus. |
4 | This act would take effect on January 1, 2025. |
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