Things are a changin’ in the world of city and county health departments and online food handler certifiers and registrars.
SB582 repercussions
Remember the City of Denton fracking frackus? Well, the oil people got together and said that we will show you who is running this.. A month later the Texas Senate passed SB582 limiting city and county powers and saying that the state and those with the real money are running this show. You can take your votes and do you know what with them.
Here is a repercussion of that law:
SB582 Act
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 438.046, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
(b-1) A food service worker trained in a food handler training course accredited by the American National Standards
Institute is considered to have met a local health jurisdiction’s training, testing, and permitting requirements. A local health jurisdiction may require a food establishment, as that term is defined by Section 438.101, to maintain on the premises of the food establishment a certificate of completion of the training course for employees of the food establishment.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
SB582 City and County Health Department Reactions
A couple of months later that produced this letter to me from my City of Austin COA number venedor manager at the City of Austin Health Department. She is the customer service supervisor and runs the food handler program and about everything else:
So, the City of Austin bailed out, but as always, laws are open to interpretation. all city and county health departments and all of us online providers were thrown into turmiol to interpret the law as best fits us and get away with it.
Williamson County basically said “We ain’t scared of you.” They are registering and charging as always. Good for you guys.
Tarrant Count said, well, if it is an ANSI certificate we will recognize it without requiring it to be registered. If it is a DSHS course, same as always. Tarrant County registrations are currently for only one year at a time. On August first, they will announce if they are going to a two year registration model.