Retail Food Establishments Inspection And Suspension

Retail food establishments - inspections - penalties for violations. With respect to retail food establishment inspections, the act:

• Clarifies that emergency situations can create an "imminent health hazard";
• Repeals language that separated violations found during inspections into critical and noncritical violations;
• Clarifies that it is unlawful to continue to operate a retail food establishment that has had its license or certificate of license suspended;
• Aligns the requirements for the communication of inspection results with the determination of whether violations are sufficient to require a reinspection;
• Removes the minimum amount for a civil penalty and establishes the maximum amount as $1,000 for violations of rules promulgated by the department of public health and environment;
• Provides that a retail food establishment that is found to be in violation during 4 out of 5 inspections during a 12-month period is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 and license suspension; and
• Adds unpaid license fees to the list of items on which a retail food establishment can spend an assessed penalty.
  (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)