Export documents: expiration.

The Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law authorizes a person who ships to another state or country a food, drug, device, or cosmetic manufactured or produced in this state to request that the State Department of Public Health issue an export document to reference the shipment. Existing law requires that a person requesting an export document submit certain information and documents to the department, including original labels and advertising affixed to, accompanying, or relating to the food, drug, device, or cosmetic, and authorizes the department to accept copies if the submission of the original labels or advertising is impractical. Existing law also requires a person requesting an export document to submit specified fees to the department. Under existing law, an export document expires 180 days after its issue date. This bill would authorize a person requesting an export document to make the request in certain electronic formats, and would require the department to accept requests submitted by email or other electronic methods, including electronic copies of labels or advertising. The bill would require that the fees for requests made by email, facsimile, or the department's Internet Web site be submitted within specified time periods. The bill would require the department to develop procedures to expedite approval of requests for an export document in which the labels and advertising remain unchanged from a previously approved request for an export document for that food, drug, device, or cosmetic. The bill would further require that an export document expire one year after its issue date.