As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1)  “Department” means the department of business regulation.

(2)  “Director” means the director of the department of business regulation.

(3)  “Event permit” means a permit that a city or town issues to the organizer of a public mobile food establishment event located on public property.

(4)  “Fire safety code” shall have the meaning set forth in chapter 28.1 of Title 23 and shall include any regulations promulgated thereunder.

(5)  “Mobile food establishment” means a food service operation that is operated from a movable motor-driven or propelled vehicle, portable structure, or watercraft that can change location. Mobile food establishments specifically includes, but is not limited to, food trucks, food carts, ice-cream trucks/carts, and lemonade trucks/carts.

(6)  “Mobile food establishment event” means an event where an individual has ordered or commissioned the operation of one or more mobile food establishments at a private or public gathering.

(7)  “Mobile food establishment operator” or “operator” means a person or corporate entity who or that owns, manages, or controls, or who or that has the duty to manage or control, the operation of a mobile food establishment.

(8)  “Mobile food establishment vendor” or “vendor” means a person who prepares, sells, cooks, or serves food or beverages from a mobile food establishment.

(9)  “Municipal mobile food establishment permit” means a permit issued by a city or town to a mobile food establishment operator that possesses a current state mobile food establishment registration.

(10)  “Registrant” means the holder of a “state mobile food establishment registration.”

(11)  “RIDOH” means the Rhode Island department of health.

(12)  “State mobile food establishment registration” or “registration” means a registration issued by the department which authorizes a mobile food establishment to operate in the state.

(13)  “Temporary mass gathering”:

(i)  Means an actual or reasonably anticipated assembly of five hundred (500) or more people that continues, or reasonably can be expected to continue, for two (2) or more hours per day; or an event that requires a more extensive review to protect public health and safety because the event’s nature or conditions have the potential of generating environmental or health risks.

(ii)  Includes, but is not limited to, “special events” as defined in the food code regulations promulgated by RIDOH, and festivals and concerts.

(iii)  Shall not include an assembly of people at a location with permanent facilities designed for that specific assembly.