Bill Aims To Simplify Food Truck Inspections Across Counties
Food trucks are popular, they travel location to location, crossing county lines to provide tacos, hamburgers, pizza, BBQ and more at businesses, events and just on the street corner. There-in is the problem, crossing those county lines and doing business in multiple cities has created a bureaucratic nightmare for these vendors on wheels.
Food truck operators turned to Alabama lawmakers for help, seeking legislation that would reduce the inspections and paperwork. That request led to Senate Bill 197. The legislation sponsored by Jefferson/Shelby counties Rep, Dan Roberts (R-15) restructures how mobile food vendors are inspected statewide. Under the legislation, food trucks will undergo one health inspection and a statewide fire inspection that replaces the patchwork of constantly shifting local requirements. The State Fire Marshal would establish a uniform inspection standard. Supporters describe the bill as a pro-business modernization effort that brings consistency across jurisdictions while reducing costs. This legislation now moves to the House for consideration.
During floor debate Sen. Roberts called the bill common sense, “Before, if they were going to go into Greene County (from another county where they’re based) they had to go to the city to get a fire marshal check, to get a health department check every time. This allows them to get a six-month sticker to come out and do their work.”
Locals were not taken completely out of the food safety issue. Greensboro Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-24) presented an amendment that clarified that local municipalities will have the ability to do on-site inspections and close a food truck if it is deemed unsafe for serving food.
After unanimous approval by the Alabama Senate, the house will now take up the legislation.
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