SB 1447: Health omnibus.
This bill updates the California retail food code to clarify definitions and improve food safety standards. It expands the definition of a catering operation to include permanent food facilities that serve food at a location other than its permitted location. The bill also adds definitions for egg product, intact meat, and mechanically tenderized food. It requires reduced oxygen packaged fish to be completely removed from packaging before thawing and updates reporting requirements for illnesses in food facilities. The bill also changes the definition of limited service charitable feeding operation facilities to include existing nonprofit charitable feeding organization facilities. Additionally, the bill authorizes the state department of public health to implement a syndromic surveillance program and collaborate with local health departments to determine necessary modifications and impl…
| Sep. 14, 2026 | Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 238, Statutes of 2026. |
| Sep. 14, 2026 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 04, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m. |
| Aug. 27, 2026 | Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. |
| Aug. 25, 2026 | Ordered to special consent calendar. |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1279.6 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:1279.6.
(a) A health facility, as defined in subdivision (a), (b), (c), or (f) of Section 1250, shall develop, implement, and comply with a patient safety plan for the purpose of improving the health and safety of patients and reducing preventable patient safety events. The patient safety plan shall be developed by the facility in consultation with the facility’s various health care professionals.SEC. 2.
Section 113739.1 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:113739.1.
(a) “Catering operation” means a permanent food facility approved for food preparation where food is served, or limited food preparation is conducted, at a location other than its permitted location, in either of the following circumstances:SEC. 3.
Section 113769 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:113769.
(a) “Egg” means the shell egg of an avian species that includes chicken, duck, goose, guinea, quail, ratite, or turkey.SEC. 4.
Section 113769.1 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:113769.1.
(a) “Egg product” means all, or a portion of, the contents found inside eggs separated from the shell and pasteurized in a food facility, with or without added ingredients, intended for human consumption, such as dried, frozen, or liquid eggs.SEC. 5.
Section 113814.1 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:113814.1.
“Intact meat” means a cut of whole muscle meat that has not undergone comminution, mechanical tenderization, vacuum tumbling with solutions, reconstruction, cubing, or pounding.SEC. 6.
Section 113823.1 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:113823.1.
“Mechanically tenderized” means manipulating meat by piercing with a set of needles, pins, blades, or any mechanical device, which breaks up muscle fiber and tough connective tissue to increase tenderness. This includes injection, scoring, and processes that may be referred to as blade tenderizing, jaccarding, pinning, or needling.SEC. 7.
Section 114020 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:114020.
(a) Frozen potentially hazardous food shall only be thawed in one of the following ways:SEC. 8.
Section 114079 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:114079.
(a) Except as specified in subdivisions (b) and (c), after being served or sold and in the possession of a consumer, food that is unused or returned by the consumer shall not be offered as food for human consumption.SEC. 9.
Section 114367.1 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:114367.1.
(a) A microenterprise home kitchen operation, as defined in Section 113825, shall be considered a restricted food service facility for purposes of, and subject to all applicable requirements of, Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 113700) to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 114265), inclusive, and Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 114380), except as otherwise provided in this chapter.SEC. 10.
Section 114368.8 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:114368.8.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 114395, a violation of this part by an operator or employee of a compact mobile food operation is punishable only by an administrative fine.SEC. 11.
Section 114380 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:114380.
(a) A person proposing to build or remodel a food facility shall submit complete, easily readable plans drawn to scale, and specifications to the enforcement agency for review, and shall receive plan approval before starting any new construction or remodeling of a facility for use as a retail food facility.SEC. 12.
Section 131365 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:131365.
(a) (1) The department may develop and administer a syndromic surveillance program.SEC. 13.
Section 131370 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:131370.
(a) (1) (A) A specified entity shall submit the required data electronically to the syndromic surveillance system designated by the department in accordance with the schedule, standards, and requirements established by the department.SEC. 14.
Section 9103.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:9103.5.
The California Department of Aging and the State Department of Public Health Office of AIDS shall meet annually to collaborate on issues of mutual interest, including supporting seniors with chronic care conditions and comorbidities and the impacts of HIV, AIDS, and sexually transmitted infections on the aging population in California.SEC. 15.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution for certain costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district because, in that regard, this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.