HF 838 (LSB 2391YH (7) 91)

HOUSE FILE 838

BY  BROWN-POWERS

A BILL FOR

An Act requiring a food establishment to post a routine inspection report card.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 137F.11A, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   137F.11A  Posting of Routine inspection reports report.
   An A food establishment inspected under this chapter shall post the most recent routine inspection report, along with any current complaint or reinspection reports, in a location at the food establishment that is readily visible to the public.  The department may require that the food establishment serving food to the public for on-premises consumption post the most recent routine inspection report near its corresponding report card as required in section 137F.11B.
    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  137F.11B  Routine inspection report card.
   1.  After completing a routine inspection report of a food establishment serving food to the public for on-premises consumption as provided in section 137F.11A, a regulatory authority shall complete a routine inspection report card. The routine inspection report card must be on a form prepared and printed by the department. The form must explain the criteria for assigning a letter grade and its corresponding rating.
   2.  a.  In completing a routine inspection report card, the regulatory authority shall assign an inspected food establishment a letter as follows:
   (1)  “A” as the highest letter grade, indicating a rating of ninety percent or better but not higher than one hundred percent.
   (2)  “B” as the next highest letter grade, indicating a rating of eighty percent or better but less than ninety percent.
   (3)  “C” as the lowest letter grade indicating a rating of seventy-five percent or better but not less than seventy-five percent.
   b.  The food establishment may request that the corresponding numerical rating be included with the letter grade.
   3.  The license issued to a food establishment under this chapter shall be suspended as provided in section 137F.7 if a food establishment is assigned a rating of less than seventy-five percent.
   4.  The food establishment shall post the most recent routine inspection report card near each entrance to the food establishment regularly used by its customers or in another conspicuous place selected by the regulatory authority conducting the inspection.
   5.  Upon a reinspection report issued under section 137F.11A, the regulatory authority shall complete a new routine inspection report card which shall be posted as provided in subsection 4.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   BACKGROUND. Generally, the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing (DIAL), or a local authority under contract with DIAL, provides for the licensing and inspection of a number of businesses where food is processed or prepared for human consumption (Code chapter 137F). DIAL and a local authority are referred to as a regulatory authority (Code section 137F.1). After a food establishment is inspected, it must post an inspection report at a location visible to the public. The food establishment is subject to reinspection.
   BILL’S PROVISIONS. This bill provides that after conducting a routine inspection of a food establishment that serves food to the public for on-premises consumption (e.g., a restaurant), a regulatory authority must complete a routine inspection report card (report card). A completed report card assigns the inspected food establishment a letter grade based on a percentage rating, including “A” (90 percent to 100 percent), “B” (80 percent to 89 percent) and “C” (75 percent to 79 percent). The food establishment’s license must be suspended if a food establishment is assigned a rating of less than 75 percent. The food establishment is required to post the most recent report card near each entrance to the food establishment or another conspicuous place selected by the regulatory authority.