Vermont H. 144: An act relating to the membership of the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel

Bill Text

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H.144 1
Introduced by Representatives Minier of South Burlington, Bos-Lun of 2
Westminster, Burkhardt of South Burlington, Dodge of Essex, 3
Hango of Berkshire, Krasnow of South Burlington, Logan of 4
Burlington, and Sibilia of Dover 5
Referred to Committee on 6
Date: 7
Subject: Health; food service establishments; food allergens 8
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require 9
owners and operators of food service establishments to designate employees to 10
complete a food allergen training program. It further proposes to require food 11
service establishments to post signage regarding food allergens. 12
An act relating to enhancing food allergen awareness in food service 13
establishments 14
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 15
Sec. 1. FINDINGS 16
The General Assembly finds that: 17
(1) approximately 26 million adults and six million children in the 18
United States have a food allergy that could be life-threatening, including, 19
statistically, several thousands of whom are Vermonters; 20

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(2) 38 percent of food allergic adults have reported at least one food-1
allergy-related emergency department visit in their lifetime; 2
(3) approximately 30,000 hospital visits are attributed to food allergies 3
each year in the United States; and 4
(4) according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5
food allergies cause between 150 and 200 deaths annually and nearly half the 6
fatal allergy reactions over a 13-year period were caused by food prepared at a 7
restaurant or other food service establishment. 8
Sec. 2. 18 V.S.A. § 4301 is amended to read: 9
§ 4301. DEFINITIONS 10
(a) As used in this chapter: 11
* * * 12
(15) “Major food allergen” means any of the following: 13
(A) milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, 14
sesame, and soybeans; or 15
(B) a food ingredient that contains protein derived from a food 16
specified in subdivision (A) of this subdivision (15), except any highly refined 17
oil derived from a food specified in subdivision (A) or any ingredient derived 18
from a highly refined oil derived from a food specified in subdivision (A). 19
* * * 20

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Sec. 3. 18 V.S.A. § 4310 is added to read: 1
§ 4310. FOOD ALLERGEN AWARENESS TRAINING 2
(a) The Commissioner shall designate one or more online food allergen 3
training programs for employees of food service establishments. Designated 4
programs shall be posted on the Department’s website and shall comply with 5
the Office of Racial Equity’s most recent Language Access Report. 6
(b)(1) The owner or operator of a food service establishment that offers 7
seating for on-site food consumption shall designate one or more public-facing 8
employees and one or more employees involved in food preparation to serve as 9
food safety officers while on duty at the food service establishment. A public-10
facing food safety officer and food safety officer involved in food preparation 11
shall be present at a food service establishment during hours of operation. 12
(2) The owner or operator of a food service establishment that does not 13
offer seating for on-site food consumption shall designate one or more 14
employees to serve as food safety officers while on duty at the food service 15
establishment. A food safety officer shall be present at the food service 16
establishment during hours of operation. 17
(c)(1) A food safety officer shall complete a designated food allergen 18
training program at intervals determined by the Commissioner in rule. 19

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(2) The owner or operator of a food service establishment shall assume 1
responsibility for costs related to completing a food allergen training program 2
by any food safety officers it employs. 3
(d) Upon completion of a food allergen training program, the food safety 4
officer shall provide the owner or operator of the food service establishment 5
with a written certificate acknowledging successful completion of the program. 6
The certificate shall be kept on file at the food service establishment and shall 7
be available for inspection by the Department upon request. 8
Sec. 4. 18 V.S.A. § 4311 is added to read: 9
§ 4311. FOOD ALLERGEN SIGNAGE 10
(a)(1) The owner or operator of a food service establishment licensed 11
pursuant to section 4351 of this title shall conspicuously post food allergen 12
signage in the public-facing section of a food service establishment and where 13
food is prepared. The signage shall: 14
(A) list the major food allergens; 15
(B) indicate how many food safety officers are located on the 16
premise; 17
(C) direct customers to advise a food service establishment employee 18
of a known food allergy or special dietary requirement; 19
(D) list actions