BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1252 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 17, 2013 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Mike Gatto, Chair AB 1252 (Committee on Health) - As Amended: April 10, 2013 Policy Committee: HealthVote:18 - 0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: Yes SUMMARY This bill makes various technical, clarifying, and conforming changes to the California Retail Food Code (CRFC), the state's principal law governing food safety and sanitation in retail food facilities. Specifically, this bill: 1)Defines the term hot dog in the CRFC and clarifies the reheating and selling of hot dogs constitutes limited food preparation. 2)Requires food handler employees to wash their hands before initially donning gloves for working with food and when changing tasks, as specified. Clarifies that hand-washing is not required between glove changes when no contamination of the gloves or hands has occurred. 3)Authorizes food facilities to use temporary alternative storage methods, such as a trailer, for food storage during holidays, emergencies, remodels or other circumstances, if approved by the local environmental health department (LEHD). 4)Specifies potable water requirements for mobile food facilities that operate at community events. 5)Specifies that existing law prohibiting the use of trans fats in all food facilities and governing compliance and enforcement applies to both temporary and mobile food facilities. FISCAL EFFECT AB 1252 Page 2 There are no significant costs associated with this legislation. COMMENTS 1)Purpose . This bill, sponsored by the California Retail Food Safety Coalition, is intended as a clean-up measure to make several technical, non-controversial clarifications and conforming changes to the CRFC. The sponsor states the changes in this bill are needed to ensure the best and most effective implementation of the state's principal retail food sanitation law. 2)Background . The CRFC is modeled after the federal Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Model Food Code (Food Code), which is updated every four years to enhance food safety laws based on the best available science. The Food Code assists food control jurisdictions at all levels of government by providing them with a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the industry, such as restaurants, grocery stores, and institutions like nursing homes. Forty-eight states and territories have adopted food codes patterned after the Food Code, representing 80% of the US population. Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916) 319-2081