Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB294

Wisconsin 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/25/23
• Refer: 5/25/23
• Report Pass: 10/11/23
• Refer: 10/11/23
• Failed: 4/15/24

Caption

Third-party food delivery services and providing a penalty.

Impact

The legislation aims to enhance consumer protection and food safety standards by requiring third-party delivery services to ensure that their delivery personnel are knowledgeable about basic food safety principles, including hygiene and avoiding cross-contamination. By enforcing these standards, the bill seeks to improve the quality of food delivery services, thus safeguarding public health and boosting consumer confidence in third-party food delivery options.

Summary

Assembly Bill 294 establishes specific regulations governing third-party food delivery services in Wisconsin. The bill mandates that these services must provide a publicly accessible process for restaurants wishing to be removed from their delivery networks. Upon request, restaurants must be removed within three business days. Additionally, the bill prohibits these services from soliciting consumers to add restaurants that do not wish to be included, ensuring that restaurants control their presence on food delivery platforms.

Contention

Notably, there could be potential contention surrounding the imposition of these regulations on third-party food delivery services, which may argue that these requirements could lead to increased operational costs. The obligations for removal processes and data sharing could also raise concerns about privacy and consent from various stakeholders, such as delivery drivers and restaurant owners. Critics may contend that while aiming to protect restaurants and consumers, these measures might hinder the operational flexibility of third-party services.