97.65 Enforcement.

(1) The department may enter, at reasonable hours, any premises for which a license is required under this subchapter or s. 97.67 or any restaurant or temporary restaurant for which a license is required under s. 97.30 to inspect the premises, secure samples or specimens, examine and copy relevant documents and records, or obtain photographic or other evidence needed to enforce this subchapter or s. 97.30 or 97.67. If samples of food are taken, the department shall pay or offer to pay the market value of the samples taken. The department shall examine the samples and specimens secured and shall conduct other inspections and examinations needed to determine whether there is a violation of this subchapter, s. 97.30 or 97.67, or rules promulgated by the department under this subchapter or s. 97.30 or 97.67.

(2)

(a) Whenever, as a result of an examination, the department has reasonable cause to believe that any examined food constitutes, or that any construction, sanitary condition, operation, or method of operation of the premises or equipment used on the premises creates, an immediate danger to health, the department may issue a temporary order and cause it to be delivered to the licensee, or to the owner or custodian of the food, or to both. The order may prohibit the sale or movement of the food for any purpose, prohibit the continued operation or method of operation of specific equipment, require the premises to cease other operations or methods of operation which create the immediate danger to health, or set forth any combination of these requirements. The department may order the cessation of all operations authorized by the license only if a more limited order does not remove the immediate danger to health. Except as provided in par. (c), no temporary order is effective for longer than 14 days from the time of its delivery, but a temporary order may be reissued for one additional 14-day period, if necessary to complete the analysis or examination of samples, specimens, or other evidence.

(b) No food described in a temporary order issued and delivered under par. (a) may be sold or moved and no operation or method of operation prohibited by the temporary order may be resumed without the approval of the department, until the order has terminated or the time period specified in par. (a) has run out, whichever occurs first. If the department, upon completed analysis and examination, determines that the food, construction, sanitary condition, operation or method of operation of the premises or equipment does not constitute an immediate danger to health, the licensee, owner, or custodian of the food or premises shall be promptly notified in writing and the temporary order shall terminate upon his or her receipt of the written notice.

(c) If the analysis or examination shows that the food, construction, sanitary condition, operation or method of operation of the premises or equipment constitutes an immediate danger to health, the licensee, owner, or custodian shall be notified within the effective period of the temporary order issued under par. (a). Upon receipt of the notice, the temporary order remains in effect until a final decision is issued under sub. (3), and no food described in the temporary order may be sold or moved and no operation or method of operation prohibited by the order may be resumed without the approval of the department.

(3) A notice issued under sub. (2) (c) shall be accompanied by a statement which informs the licensee, owner, or custodian that he or she has a right to request a hearing in writing within 15 days after issuance of the notice. The department shall hold a hearing no later than 15 days after the department receives the written request for a hearing, unless both parties agree to a later date. A final decision shall be issued under s. 227.47 within 10 days of the conclusion of the hearing. The decision may order the destruction of food, the diversion of food to uses which do not pose a danger to health, the modification of food so that it does not create a danger to health, changes to or replacement of equipment or construction, other changes in or cessations of any operation or method of operation of the equipment or premises, or any combination of these actions necessary to remove the danger to health. The decision may order the cessation of all operations authorized by the license only if a more limited order will not remove the immediate danger to health.

(4) A proceeding under this section, or the issuance of a license for the premises after notification of procedures under this section, does not constitute a waiver by the department of its authority to rely on a violation of this subchapter, s. 97.30 or 97.67, or any rule promulgated under this subchapter or s. 97.30 or 97.67 as the basis for any subsequent suspension or revocation of the license or any other enforcement action arising out of the violation.

(5)

(a) Except as provided in par. (b), any person who violates this section or an order issued under this section may be fined not more than $10,000 plus the retail value of any food moved, sold or disposed of in violation of this section or the order, or imprisoned not more than one year in the county jail, or both.

(b) Any person who does either of the following may be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than one year in a county jail, or both:

1. Assaults, restrains, threatens, intimidates, impedes, interferes with or otherwise obstructs a department inspector, employee or agent in the performance of his or her duties under this section.

2. Gives false information to a department inspector, employee or agent engaged in the performance of his or her duties under this section, with the intent to mislead the inspector, employee or agent.

History: 1983 a. 203; 1985 a. 182 s. 57; 1985 a. 332 s. 251 (1); 1987 a. 307; 1993 a. 27 s. 78; Stats. 1993 s. 254.85; 2015 a. 55 s. 4102; 2015 Stats. s. 97.65.