HBA-JEK H.B. 3610 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3610
By: Capelo
Public Health
3/22/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law authorizes the Texas Board of Health (TBH) to accredit an
education or training program for food service workers only if the program
meets certain criteria and is at least 15 hours long.  The advent of
distance learning and CD-ROM retail food training programs now enables food
service workers to learn basic food safety principles at their own pace
without having to attend classroom training in person.  House Bill 3610
allows for alternative training methods by removing the 15 hour classroom
requirement and requiring TBH to establish the course content required for
the accreditation of an education and training program for food service
workers.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Board of Health in SECTION 1
(Section 438.043, Health and Safety Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 3610 amends the Health and Safety Code to remove the provisions
setting forth curriculum and examination criteria for the Texas Board of
Health (board) to use in accrediting education and training programs for
food service workers and instead requires the board by rule to establish
the course content required for accreditation.  The bill requires students
of a program to take an examination approved by the Texas Department of
Health and to assist TDH in evaluating the program.  The bill removes the
provision that provides that a food service worker trained in a course for
the employees of a single entity is considered to have met a local health
jurisdiction's training and testing requirements only as to food service
performed for that entity. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.