These should be basic right standards. These cause less trauma, less injuries, deaths, and for a better society

I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease, and eating out is now incredibly challenging - both due to the lack of transparency on menus and the due to the lack of training for restaurant workers on celiac-safe practices. As I'm also a parent of a child with disabilities who has a busy therapy schedule, eating out is too often a necessity of scheduling logistics, so simply choosing not to eat out is not as much of an option. I am also what they call a silent celiac, meaning I don't feel symptoms from eating gluten - but my body is still internally damaged by digesting it. This makes it even more critical for there to be consistent celiac safety practices, as I have no symptoms or reactions by which to evaluate my experience with a restaurant. Please take this issue seriously - this disease is incredibly frustrating as it is, given the limits it puts on us. If possible, consider also an amendment that would require that menus label gluten free options. I research every restaurant I go to now before I visit. If they don't identify anything related to gluten on their menu, I don't even go (as I don't want to get there to find out I can't have anything). Gluten hides in SO much food, especially spices - being able to see a gluten free designation on all menus would be incredibly helpful. Thank you.

I am writing in strong support of House Bill 380 as someone who has been recently diagnosed with celiac disease. Before my diagnosis, I had little understanding of how serious and exacting this condition is. I now know that even trace amounts of gluten can cause real medical harm — not just short-term discomfort, but long-term damage to my body, including intestinal injury and increased risk of other autoimmune conditions. This has completely changed how I move through everyday life, especially when eating outside my home. As a newly diagnosed person, dining out has become one of the most stressful parts of my routine. I rely heavily on restaurant staff to understand what “gluten-free” truly means, including cross-contact risks in kitchens. Too often, well-meaning servers and cooks simply haven’t been trained on what celiac disease actually is or how serious accidental exposure can be. HB 380 would help close that gap. By adding celiac awareness and safety to official training materials, this bill would equip restaurant workers with basic, consistent knowledge that could prevent illness, reduce anxiety for customers like me, and allow people with celiac disease to participate more fully in everyday life — including something as simple as sharing a meal with friends or family. For newly diagnosed patients like me, this kind of education isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. I urge you to pass HB 380 and take this important step toward safer, more inclusive food service in Virginia. Thank you for your consideration.

The Virginia Autism Project urges the members of the Health and Human Services Committee to vote YES on HB380, which would add “Celiac Disease” to the topics included in the written materials provided for the training of restaurant personnel. People with autism have rates of celiac disease that are 20 times higher than those without a diagnosis of autism. There is a significant association between celiac disease and other autoimmune disorders. Emerging studies increasingly suggest that immune dysfunction is a viable risk factor contributing to the neurodevelopmental deficits observed in autism. It can be very unsafe for someone with celiac disease to eat at restaurants where food handling staff are not knowledgeable about celiac disease. Having this requirement for training of restaurant personnel would assist in keeping autistics safe from cross-contamination by unsafe food allergy handling practices. This bill has a zero fiscal impact. Please vote YES on HB380 https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/889005