2007 Minnesota Statutes

145.867 PERSONS REQUIRING SPECIAL DIETS.
    Subdivision 1. Public facility. "Public facility" means an auditorium, concert hall, sports
stadium, sports arena, or theater.
    Subd. 2. Identification card for individuals needing a special diet. The commissioner of
health shall make special diet identification cards available to physicians and to persons with
diabetes and other conditions requiring special diets. The identification card must contain spaces
for: (1) the person's name, address, and signature; (2) the physician's name, phone number, and
signature; (3) a description of the person's medical condition; and (4) an expiration date. The card
must also contain the following provision, in identical or substantially similar language: "The
owner of this card is exempted by the commissioner of health from prohibitions on bringing
outside food and drink into a public facility." Persons with medical conditions requiring a special
diet may ask their physician to fill out and sign the card. The physician shall fill out and sign the
card if, in the physician's medical judgment, the person has a medical condition that requires
a special diet. Persons with diabetes shall be automatically assumed by physicians to require
special diets. Special diet identification cards shall be valid for five years. Persons with a medical
condition requiring a special diet may request a new card from their physician up to six months
before the expiration date.
    Subd. 3. Exemption from food and drink prohibitions. Persons with medical conditions
requiring a special diet who present a valid special diet identification card to any employee of a
public facility shall be allowed to bring in outside food and drink, subject to the limitations
in subdivision 4. To be valid, the card must be filled out according to subdivision 2 and must
be current. Persons with special diet identification cards must obey all other food and drink
regulations established by a public facility including prohibitions on eating or drinking in certain
areas of the public facility.
    Subd. 4. Limitation on exemption. Public facilities may limit the amount of food and drink
that may be brought into a public facility by a person with a special diet identification card to
the amount that can reasonably be consumed by a single individual. Public facilities may also
place limits on the size of any food or drink container carried in, if the container would be a safety
hazard or interfere with other patrons or customers. Public facilities may also require persons
displaying a special diet identification card to show some other form of identification.
History: 1989 c 282 art 2 s 32