Report Title:

Restaurants; Cleanliness

Description:

Establishes a statewide cleanliness grading system for food establishments and requires establishments to visibly post their grade for patrons.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	64
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating to Restaurants.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§321-  Restaurant cleanliness; inspection and grading.  (a) The department of health shall conduct periodic unannounced inspections of all restaurants or food establishments where food is regularly prepared, sold, or offered for sale for human consumption in the State for sanitation and cleanliness.

(b)  The department of health shall establish guidelines, consistent with rules adopted pursuant to section 321-11(18), for evaluating the cleanliness and sanitation of restaurants under subsection (a).  The guidelines shall include a grading system as a relative index of cleanliness and sanitation and shall reflect the restaurant's degree of compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, orders, ordinances, quarantines, rules, regulations, or directives relating to the public health.

(c)  Following the inspection of each restaurant or food establishment, the department of health shall assign each restaurant or food establishment a grade that reflects the level of cleanliness and sanitation as measured against the department's grading system.  The grade shall remain valid until the department completes the next inspection of the restaurant or food establishment.

(d)  Each restaurant or food establishment shall post its grade, on a form prescribed by the department, in a location clearly visible to the general public and to patrons, and shall continue to post its grade until a new grade is issued by the department.

(e)  The department of health may adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91 to effectuate the purposes of this section."

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $             , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for department of health to establish a cleanliness statewide grading system of restaurants.

     SECTION 3.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.

INTRODUCED BY:

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