House committees to review rodent issue in Capitol cafeteria,

HARRISBURG, Jan. 6 – State Reps. Babette Josephs and Mike Hanna will conduct a joint public hearing with their respective committees to review the issue of the mice infestation and unsanitary conditions that closed the Capitol cafeteria for more than two weeks at the end of 2009.

The hearing will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25 in Room 205 Ryan Office Building.

"The Capitol cafeteria provides dining services for not only state employees, but for a whole range of guests, including school children and the public on a regular basis," Josephs said. "It is important that a safe, sanitary and disease-free environment is maintained, so I was appalled to learn that this was not the case. It is therefore incumbent upon us to investigate what caused the problems and what can be done to prevent a recurrence."

Josephs is chairwoman of the House State Government Committee, which has oversight over the Department of General Services. DGS is the state agency responsible for cafeteria operations in the Capitol complex, including the main cafeteria in the East Wing.

Hanna is chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over food safety matters and shepherded a food safety bill through the House.

"The lack of uniformity in regulating food safety in Pennsylvania makes it difficult to ensure public safety and prevent and contain food-poisoning outbreaks or situations like we saw recently at the Capitol cafeteria," Hanna said. "At a time when food-borne illnesses are on the rise, legislation is needed to establish Pennsylvania as a leader in regulating food safety."

Josephs said that the committees will examine the following at the hearing:

Carroll said his bill is needed to improve the state's restaurant inspection process and resolve jurisdictional issues that led to the four-year lapse in Capitol cafeteria inspections.

"My bill links together the inspections with the license renewal and posts the results on the Internet for all consumers to see," Carroll said.

The Capitol cafeteria was shut down Dec. 17 after state inspectors found a mouse infestation and 16 other health-code violations. In spite of a state law requiring annual inspections of licensed food-service establishments, it had not been inspected since 2005. The cafeteria reopened Jan. 4 after addressing the violations.