SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1198        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 857

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Nine

_______________

An Act Prohibiting the Use of All Latex Gloves and Products by Persons who Handle Food.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 94 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 307B the following section:—

Sec 307C. Any person engaged in wholly or in part in the production, manufacturing, processing, storing and/or offering or exposing any article of food for consumption, and whose duties and activities involve handling and contact with food at any stage during the process, shall not use natural latex rubber gloves or utensils containing natural rubber latex.

If the Department of Health finds, after notice and due opportunity for hearing, that any establishment, group or vendor is not in compliance with provisions of this section, it may assess civil penalties in an amount not exceeding five hundred dollars, and may be subject to any and all penalties provided for in General Laws which regulate said industry, including revocation of licenses.