H-2249.1
HOUSE BILL 2059
State of Washington | 68th Legislature | 2024 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Stearns, Ramos, Senn, Ramel, Morgan, Peterson, Callan, Gregerson, Santos, and Reeves
Prefiled 12/29/23.Read first time 01/08/24.Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.
AN ACT Relating to the sale of halal food products; amending RCW
15.130.140; adding a new chapter to Title
69 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Food product" includes any article other than drugs, whether in raw or prepared form, liquid or solid, or packaged or unpackaged, and that is used for human consumption.
(2) "Halal" means a food product prepared, processed, and maintained in strict accordance with the requisites of Islamic principles and customs including, but not limited to, the slaughter of an animal and preparation thereof for human consumption.
(3) "Person" includes individuals, partnerships, corporations, and associations.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. No person may knowingly sell or offer for sale any food product marked, stamped, tagged, branded, labeled, or represented as halal when that person knows that the food product is not halal and when the representation is likely to cause a prospective purchaser to believe that it is halal. Such a representation may be made in any language, orally or in writing, or by display of a sign, mark, insignia, or simulation.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) A person who violates this chapter is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
(2) A violation of this chapter constitutes a violation of the consumer protection act, chapter
19.86 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This chapter may be known and cited as the halal food consumer protection act.
Sec. 5. RCW
15.130.140 and 2018 c 236 s 105 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Food in transit from one processing facility to another processing facility to complete its preparation for sale is exempt from the labeling requirements of this chapter, but is otherwise subject to all applicable provisions of this chapter.
(2) This chapter is not applicable to kosher food to the extent necessary to produce kosher food products as defined in RCW
69.90.010.
(3) This chapter is not applicable to halal food to the extent necessary to produce halal food as defined in section 1 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 4 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 69 RCW. --- END ---