Asm. Richard Bloom

Under existing law, the California Retail Food Code, the State Department of Public Health establishes uniform health and sanitation standards for retail food facilities and local health agencies are required to enforce these provisions. A person who violates any provision of the code is guilty of a misdemeanor. Existing law requires food employees to wash their hands in accordance with specified provisions and prohibits food employees from contacting exposed, ready-to-eat food with their bare hands, except under certain conditions, including when washing fruits and vegetables and when not serving a highly susceptible population, as specified. This bill would instead require that food employees minimize bare hand and arm contact with nonprepackaged food that is in a ready-to-eat form. The bill would require food employees to use utensils, as specified, to assemble ready-to-eat food or to place ready-to-eat food on tableware or in other containers. The bill would authorize food employees to assemble or place on tableware or in other containers ready-to-eat food in an approved food preparation area without using utensils if hands are cleaned in accordance with specified provisions. The bill would require that food that has been served to the consumer and then wrapped or prepackaged at the direction of the consumer be handled only with utensils. The bill would require these utensils to be properly sanitized before reuse. By revising the standards that are required to be enforced by local health agencies and changing the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

This measure would urge Congress to support legislation reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

This measure would proclaim the year of 2014 as the "Year of the Community," and would declare that the Legislature will actively promote the rights of persons with developmental disabilities and their full inclusion into community life.

This measure would recognize the essential role that museums have in the State of California as educational institutions and would proclaim May 2014 as California Museum Month.

This measure would commend the extraordinary service delivered by Near East Relief to the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and the Assyrian Genocide.

This measure would recognize the essential role that health care districts have in the State of California and proclaims the month of May 2014 as Health Care District Month in California.

This measure would proclaim May 19, 2014, as Viral Hepatitis Awareness Day in California.

This measure would honor and recognize the service and sacrifice made by members of the Armed Forces and their families on the occasion of Armed Forces Day on May 17, 2014.