BILL NUMBER: AB 1828 ENROLLED BILL TEXT PASSED THE SENATE JUNE 20, 2002 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2002 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 25, 2002 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bill Campbell (Coauthors: Assembly Members Aroner, Bates, Daucher, Harman, Leach, Maddox, and Robert Pacheco) (Coauthor: Senator Ackerman) JANUARY 22, 2002 An act to add Section 383c to the Penal Code, relating to crime. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1828, Bill Campbell. Halal food. Existing law provides that every person who, with intent to defraud, sells any meat or meat preparations falsely representing them to be kosher or prepared in compliance with Hebrew orthodox religious requirements, or who fails to indicate that both kosher and nonkosher meat is for sale in the same place of business, as specified, is punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $600, or imprisonment in a county jail for not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days, or by both that fine and imprisonment. This bill would provide that a person who, with intent to defraud, sells any meat or meat preparations falsely representing them to be halal or prepared in compliance with Islamic religious requirements, or who fails to indicate that both halal and nonhalal meat is for sale in the same place of business, as specified, is punishable by the same imprisonment and fine. By creating a new 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 383c is added to the Penal Code, to read: 383c. Every person who with intent to defraud, sells or exposes for sale any meat or meat preparations, and falsely represents the same to be halal, whether such meat or meat preparations be raw or prepared for human consumption, or as having been prepared under and from a product or products sanctioned by the Islamic religious requirements; or falsely represents any food product, or the contents of any package or container, to be so constituted and prepared, by having or permitting to be inscribed thereon the words "halal" in any language; or sells or exposes for sale in the same place of business both halal and nonhalal meat or meat preparations, either raw or prepared for human consumption, who fails to indicate on his window signs in all display advertising in block letters at least four inches in height "halal and nonhalal meats sold here;" or who exposes for sale in any show window or place of business as both halal and nonhalal meat preparations, either raw or prepared for human consumption, who fails to display over each kind of meat or meat preparation so exposed a sign in block letters at least four inches in height, reading "halal meat" or "nonhalal meat" as the case may be; or sells or exposes for sale in any restaurant or any other place where food products are sold for consumption on the premises, any article of food or food preparations and falsely represents the same to be halal, or as having been prepared in accordance with the Islamic religious requirements; or sells or exposes for sale in such restaurant, or such other place, both halal and nonhalal food or food preparations for consumption on the premises, not prepared in accordance with the Islamic ritual, or not sanctioned by Islamic religious requirements, and who fails to display on his window signs in all display advertising, in block letters at least four inches in height "halal and nonhalal food served here" is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof be punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100), nor more than six hundred dollars ($600), or imprisonment in a county jail of not less than 30 days, nor more than 90 days, or both such fine and imprisonment. The word "halal" is here defined to mean a strict compliance with every Islamic law and custom pertaining and relating to the killing of the animal or fowl from which the meat is taken or extracted, the dressing, treatment and preparation thereof for human consumption, and the manufacture, production, treatment, and preparation of such other food or foods in connection wherewith Islamic laws and customs obtain and to the use of tools, implements, vessels, utensils, dishes, and containers that are used in connection with the killing of such animals and fowls and the dressing, preparation, production, manufacture, and treatment of such meats and other products, foods, and food stuffs. SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.