SB 478

This bill prescribes that the annual license fee for a retail food establishment

that is a micro market is $40 for one micro market located in a building, or $60 for

two or more micro markets located in the same building. The bill defines a micro

market as an indoor, unstaffed, self-checkout kiosk that sells food and beverages in

an area that is accessible only by a limited group of people, such as employees, and

not the general public. Under current law, a permanent facility from which food is

sold to customers at retail is generally required to hold a retail food establishment

license granted by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection,

and DATCP has authority to promulgate rules governing the operations of retail food

establishments, including annual license fee amounts. The bill allows a new micro

market to be issued a retail food establishment license before it is inspected, and

requires the new micro market to be inspected within one year of being issued the

license. Also, under the bill, micro markets are not subject to certain fees that

generally apply to retail food establishments, other than the annual license fee.

The bill also requires a location that keeps, handles, prepares, or stores food or

beverages before sale at a micro market to be regulated and licensed by DATCP as

a vending machine commissary.