Bill > H4125

This bill establishes a comprehensive Food Services Inspector's Office within the state auditor's division to improve food safety and quality in correctional facilities. The bill creates a new Food Services Community Council composed of diverse members, including a chef, a dietitian, a therapeutic diet expert, and an incarcerated person, who will oversee and review food service operations. The Food Services Inspector, appointed for a 5-year term by multiple state officials, will have broad powers to investigate food service practices in correctional facilities, including examining food quality, nutritional value, fund usage, and compliance with existing policies. The inspector can conduct interviews, review records, survey incarcerated individuals, hold public hearings, and issue subpoenas. The office is designed to be independent and has the authority to recommend sanctions or fines for non-compliance, protect whistleblowers from retaliation, and publish annual reports detailing investigations and recommendations. Additionally, the bill establishes a dedicated Food Services Inspector Fund to support the office's operations, which will be funded through appropriations, grants, and donations. The overall goal is to improve food services, nutrition, and accountability in correctional facilities while ensuring the health and well-being of incarcerated individuals.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4125