Good afternoon,
A provision in the recently passed House Bill 44 (HB44) addresses plan review by adding a new subsection to G.S. 130A-248. The new subsection (e1) states:
“Plans for a franchised or chain food establishment that have been reviewed and approved by the Department shall not require further review and approval under this section by any local health department. The local health department may suggest revisions to a reviewed and approved plan to the Department. The local health department shall not impose any of the suggestion revisions on the owner or operator without written approval from the Department.”
The statute clarifies the process by making it clear that once a plan is reviewed and approved by the Department, an additional review by the local health department is not required. Any revisions to the plan suggested by the local health department cannot be implemented without written permission from the Department. In most cases this communication would occur through email.
This should streamline the review process for everyone involved. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Kevin Dodge
Environmental Engineer