The Florida Senate

509.049  Food service employee training.--The division shall adopt, by rule, minimum food safety protection standards for the training of all food service employees who are responsible for the storage, preparation, display, or serving of foods to the public in establishments regulated under this chapter. These standards shall not include an examination, but shall provide for a food safety training certificate program for food service employees to be administered by a private nonprofit provider chosen by the division. The division shall issue a request for competitive sealed proposals which includes a statement of the contractual services sought and all terms and conditions applicable to the contract. The division shall award the contract to the provider whose proposal is determined in writing to be the most advantageous to the state, taking into consideration the price and the other criteria set forth in the request for proposals. The division shall contract with a provider on a 4-year basis and is authorized to promulgate by rule a per employee fee to cover the contracted price for the program administered by the provider. In making its selection, the division shall consider factors including, but not limited to, the experience and history of the provider in representing the food service industry, the provider's demonstrated commitment to food safety, and its ability to provide a statewide program with industry support and participation. Any food safety training program established and administered to food handler employees utilized at a public food service establishment prior to the effective date of this act shall be submitted by the operator to the division for its review and approval. If the food safety training program is approved by the division, nothing in this section shall preclude any other operator of a food service establishment from also utilizing the approved program or require the employees of any operator to receive training from or pay a fee to the division's contracted provider. Review and approval by the division of a program or programs under this section shall include, but not be limited to, the minimum food safety standards adopted by the division in accordance with this section. It shall be the duty of the licensee of the public food service establishment to provide training in accordance with the described rule to all employees under the licensee's supervision or control. The licensee may designate a certified food service manager to perform this function as an agent of the licensee. Food service employees must receive certification pursuant to this section by January 1, 2001. Food service employees hired after November 1, 2000, must receive certification within 60 days after employment. Certification pursuant to this section shall remain valid for 3 years.

History.--s. 4, ch. 96-384; s. 1, ch. 2000-191.