Caroline Menjivar
- Democratic
- Senator
- District 20
Author
Existing law, the California Retail Food Code, establishes uniform health and sanitation standards for, and provides for regulation by the State Department of Public Health of, retail food facilities, and requires local health agencies to enforce those provisions. Existing law makes a person who violates a provision of the code guilty of a misdemeanor. Existing law requires the person in charge of a food facility to have adequate knowledge of major food allergens, as defined, foods identified as major food allergens, and the symptoms that a major food allergen could cause in a sensitive individual who has an allergic reaction and to educate food facility employees regarding those matters. Existing law requires a food handler to obtain a food handler card from a specified training provider after completing a food handler training course and examination that covers, among other things, major food allergens and symptoms of allergic reactions. This bill would add sesame to the list of major food allergens. Existing law, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, requires certain restaurants and similar retail food establishments that are part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same name and offering for sale substantially the same menu items to disclose nutrient content information, as specified. This bill, commencing July 1, 2026, would require a food facility that is subject to the federal disclosure provisions for nutrient content information to provide written notification of the major food allergens that the food facility knows or reasonably should know are contained as an ingredient in each menu item, either directly on its menu or in a digital format, as specified. The bill would specify that its provisions requiring a food facility to provide the above-described notifications do not apply to compact mobile food operations or nonpermanent food facilities. By expanding the scope of existing crimes and by imposing new duties on local health officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 741, Statutes of 2025.
Approved by the Governor.
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2709.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 66. Noes 1. Page 2982.) Ordered to the Senate.
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
Read third time and amended.
Ordered to third reading.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (August 20).
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 1.) (July 8).
July 1 hearing postponed by committee.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 32. Noes 0. Page 1281.) Ordered to the Assembly.
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 1190.) (May 23).
Set for hearing May 23.
April 28 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
Set for hearing April 28.
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 736.) (April 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Set for hearing April 9.
From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 13.
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
|---|---|
| SB68 | HTML |
| 01/13/25 - Introduced | |
| 05/23/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 07/10/25 - Amended Assembly | |
| 09/04/25 - Amended Assembly | |
| 09/12/25 - Enrolled | |
| 10/13/25 - Chaptered |
| Document | Format |
|---|---|
| 04/07/25- Senate Health | |
| 04/25/25- Senate Appropriations | |
| 05/23/25- Senate Appropriations | |
| 05/27/25- Sen. Floor Analyses | |
| 06/27/25- Assembly Health | |
| 07/03/25- Assembly Health | |
| 08/18/25- Assembly Appropriations | |
| 08/22/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS | |
| 09/05/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS | |
| 09/08/25- Sen. Floor Analyses |
Data on Open States is updated periodically throughout the day from the official website of the California State Legislature.
If you notice any inconsistencies with these official sources, feel free to file an issue.