Bill > A3129

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a gluten-free certification program and requires the Division of Consumer Affairs to publish a list of certified restaurants on the division's website. This bill requires the Division of Consumer Affairs, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, to establish a voluntary certification program for restaurants that are entirely gluten-free or which offer gluten-free options and take necessary precautions to prevent cross-contamination. To establish and implement the program, the division is required to: (1) establish a procedure for restaurants to apply for a gluten-free certification, including clear guidelines for eligibility and documentation required for certification; (2) conduct an annual review of the list of certified restaurants pursuant to procedures established by the division for the purpose of determining whether a certified restaurant is eligible to maintain its certification; (3) impose reasonable fees including an annual re-certification fee to cover costs associated with the certification program; and (4) publish and maintain a list of restaurants with a gluten-free certification and make the list available on its Internet website. Under the bill, a restaurant is prohibited from advertising or represent itself as possessing a gluten-free certification unless it has been certified by the division in accordance with the provisions of this bill. A restaurant that violates these provisions will receive a written warning from the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs for a first offense. For a second or subsequent offense, the restaurant is subject to a civil penalty of $1,000, to be collected and enforced by the director in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). A violation of the bill's provision is not to be considered an unlawful practice in violation of the consumer fraud act.

AI Summary

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Lisa Swain (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee (on 01/13/2026)

Official Document