H. B. 2155


(By Delegates Boggs and Staton)

[Introduced February 14, 2001; referred to the

Committee on Health and Human Resources then Government Organization.]




A BILL to amend article six, chapter sixteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-five, relating to hotels and restaurants; and requiring restaurant establishments to post results of health department inspections.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That article six, chapter sixteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-five, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 6. HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS.

§16-6-25. Results of inspections by health department.

All establishments regulated pursuant to this article operating a restaurant shall post the results of health inspections by prominently displaying a public notice in the following words:
"NOTICE TO PATRONS OF RESTAURANT: This establishment is required by law to be inspected by the health department at least once a year. The last inspection was made on _________________. This establishment received the following rating, grade or results following that inspection: [HERE INSERT RESULTS OF HEALTH INSPECTION - THIS WILL BE A GRADE CARD OF A, B OR C OR A SCORE CARD IF THE RESULTS OF INSPECTION IS LESS THAN 70%]."
The state director of health is responsible for administering this section. He or she may delegate the duties to any county boards of health or combined local boards of health.
The state health department shall publish standards for such notices, assuring a uniform size and color of the notices to be purchased by the owner of any such establishment. The standards shall require the inspector of a restaurant to post a grade card or score card that is clearly visible to the general public and to patrons on the main entrance door or in the front window of the establishment within five feet of the front door. If the establishment has multiple entrances, the grade or score card shall be posted at the entrance door most often used by patrons. A grade card shall be issued to each establishment at the end of a routine inspection. The grade issued will be based upon the score received on the inspection report. The grading shall be as follows: A is a score of 90-100%; B is a score of 80-89%; C is a score of 70-79%; an establishment receiving a score less than seventy percent will be issued a score card and not a grade card. The score card will indicate the actual score received. The grade cards or score cards must remain posted until the next routine inspection, at which time the inspector will issue a new grade card or score card.



NOTE: This bill requires restaurant establishments to post results of health department inspections in prominent places for patrons to see.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.