Section 97.41. Retail food: agent status for local health departments.

 

(1)  In this section:

(a) “Local board of health" has the meaning given in s. 250.01 (3) .

(b) “Local health department" has the meaning given in s. 250.01 (4) .

(1m)  In the administration of this chapter, the department may enter into a written agreement with a local health department, if the jurisdictional area of the local health department has a population greater than 5,000, which designates the local health department as the agent of the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection for issuing licenses to and making investigations or inspections of retail food establishments, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c) . When the designation is made, no license other than the license issued by the local health department under this section may be required by the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection or the local health department for the same operations. The department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection shall oversee the designation of agents under this section to ensure that, to the extent feasible, the same local health department is granted agent status under this section and under s. 97.615 (2) . Except as otherwise provided by the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, a local health department granted agent status shall regulate all types of establishments for which this subsection permits the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection to delegate regulatory authority.

(2)  A local health department granted agent status under this section shall meet standards adopted, by rule, by the department. The department shall annually evaluate the licensing, investigation and inspection program of each local health department granted agent status. If, at any time, a local health department granted agent status fails to meet the standards, the department may revoke its agent status.

(3)  The department shall provide education and training to agents designated under this section to ensure uniformity in the enforcement of this chapter and rules adopted under this chapter.

(4)  

(a) Except as provided in par. (b) , a local health department granted agent status under this section shall establish and collect the license fee for retail food establishments, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c) . The local health department may establish separate fees for pre-licensing inspections of new establishments, for pre-licensing inspections of existing establishments for which a person intends to be the new operator or for the issuance of duplicate licenses. No fee may exceed the local health department's reasonable costs of issuing licenses to, making investigations and inspections of, and providing education, training and technical assistance to the establishments, plus the state fee established under sub. (5) . A local health department which is granted agent status under this section or under s. 97.615 may issue a single license and establish and collect a single fee which authorizes the operation on the same premises of more than one type of establishment with respect to which it is granted agent status under this section or under s. 97.615 (2) .

(b) A local health department granted agent status under this section may contract with the department for the department to collect fees and issue licenses. The department shall collect from the local health department the actual and reasonable cost of providing the services.

(5)  The department shall establish state fees for its costs related to setting standards for retail food establishments, as defined in s. 97.30 (1) (c) , setting standards for agents under this section and monitoring and evaluating the activities of, and providing education and training to, agent local health departments. Agent local health departments shall include the state fees in the license fees established under sub. (4) (a) , collect the state fees and reimburse the department for the state fees collected. The state fee may not exceed 20 percent of the license fee charged under s. 97.30 (3) for a license issued by the department.

(6)  If, under this section, a local health department becomes an agent or its agent status is discontinued during a licensee's license year, the department and the local health department shall divide any license fee paid for that license year according to the proportions of the license year occurring before and after the local health department's agent status is granted or discontinued. No additional fee may be required during the license year due to the change in agent status.

(7)  A local board of health may adopt and impose regulations on licensees and premises for which the local health department is the designated agent under this section, which are stricter than this chapter or rules promulgated by the department under this chapter. No such regulation may conflict with this chapter or rules promulgated by the department.

(8)  This section does not limit the authority of the department to inspect establishments in jurisdictional areas of local health departments where agent status is granted if it inspects in response to an emergency, for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the local health department's licensing, inspection and enforcement program or at the request of the local health department.

(9)  The department shall hold a hearing under ch. 227 if any interested person, in lieu of proceeding under ch. 68 , appeals to the department alleging any of the following:

(a) A permit fee established by a local health department granted agent status exceeds the reasonable costs described under sub. (4) (a) .

(b) The person issuing, refusing to issue, suspending or revoking a permit or making an investigation or inspection of the appellant has a financial interest in a regulated establishment which may interfere with his or her ability to properly take that action.

(c) That a license fee for a retail food establishment license issued by an agent local health department under this section exceeds the reasonable costs of that agent local health department for issuing the license, investigating and inspecting the establishment, and providing education, training and technical assistance to the establishment.

1983 a. 203 ; 1985 a. 29 ss. 1643y to 1645 , 3202 (3) ; 1987 a. 27 ss. 1693hL , 3200 (4) ; 1987 a. 399 , 403 ; 1989 a. 56 ; 1993 a. 27 ; 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19) ; 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a) ; 2015 a. 55 .