Bill Text: NJ A3371 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DHSS to establish uniform standard for retail food establishment health and sanitary evaluation placards.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-07 - Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading [A3371 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A3371-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman PAUL D. MORIARTY
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DHSS to establish uniform standard for retail food establishment health and sanitary evaluation placards.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning retail food establishment health and sanitary evaluation placards and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, in consultation with local health agencies, shall establish a uniform standard for health and sanitary evaluation placards that represent a health inspector's evaluation of the health and sanitary conditions of a retail food establishment and are posted by that establishment in a conspicuous place for view by the public.
The uniform standard shall include, but not be limited to, a three-tier, color-coded evaluation placard system based upon a retail food establishment's level of compliance with the provisions of chapter 24 of Title 8 of the New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.8:24-1.1 et seq.).
b. For purposes of this section, "retail food establishment" shall have the same meaning as defined in N.J.A.C. 8:24-1.5.
2. The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services shall promulgate rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment, but the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, in consultation with local health agencies, to establish a uniform standard for health and sanitary evaluation placards that represent a health inspector's evaluation of the health and sanitary conditions of a retail food establishment and are posted by that establishment in a conspicuous place for view by the public.
Upon the conclusion of a retail food establishment's health inspection, the inspector issues one of three evaluation placards: "satisfactory," "conditionally satisfactory," or "unsatisfactory." Currently, there is no uniform, color-coded standard in the State for visually distinguishing between the three evaluation placards, which makes it difficult for patrons to readily ascertain a retail food establishment's sanitary rating.
In an effort to provide greater consumer protection, this bill provides that the uniform standard shall include, but not be limited to, a three-tier, color-coded evaluation placard system based upon a retail food establishment's compliance with the provisions of chapter 24 of Title 8 of the New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.8:24-1.1 et seq.), "Sanitation in Retail Food Establishments and Food and Beverage Vending Machines."
