1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; changing food handlers 
  1.3             license provisions for first-time and seasonal 
  1.4             licenses; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 
  1.5             28A.04, subdivision 1. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 28A.04, 
  1.8   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [APPLICATION; DATE OF ISSUANCE.] (a) No 
  1.10  person shall engage in the business of manufacturing, 
  1.11  processing, selling, handling, or storing food without having 
  1.12  first obtained from the commissioner a license for doing such 
  1.13  business.  Applications for such license shall be made to the 
  1.14  commissioner in such manner and time as required and upon such 
  1.15  forms as provided by the commissioner and shall contain the name 
  1.16  and address of the applicant, address or description of each 
  1.17  place of business, and the nature of the business to be 
  1.18  conducted at each place, and such other pertinent information as 
  1.19  the commissioner may require. 
  1.20     (b) A retail or wholesale food handler license shall be 
  1.21  issued for the period July 1 to June 30 following and shall be 
  1.22  renewed thereafter by the licensee on or before July 1 each 
  1.23  year, except that licenses for all mobile food concession units 
  1.24  and retail mobile units shall be issued for the period April 1 
  1.25  to March 31, and shall be renewed thereafter by the licensee on 
  2.1   or before April 1 each year.  A license for a food broker or for 
  2.2   a food processor or manufacturer shall be issued for the period 
  2.3   January 1 to December 31 following and shall be renewed 
  2.4   thereafter by the licensee on or before January 1 of each year.  
  2.5   A penalty for a late renewal shall be assessed in accordance 
  2.6   with section 28A.08. 
  2.7      (c) Notwithstanding the dates and penalties in paragraph 
  2.8   (b), a first-time applicant for a license may apply at any time 
  2.9   during a year without incurring a penalty and may pay a prorated 
  2.10  share of the annual fee for the license based on the time 
  2.11  remaining until renewal.  A seasonal food handler may also apply 
  2.12  at any time during a year and must pay only a prorated share of 
  2.13  the annual fee based on the length of the season during which 
  2.14  the license will be used.  
  2.15     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.16     This act is effective the day following final enactment.