Vetoed bill proposed registration and food rules for cart vendors

A person operating a compact food cart would have to register with the local health board. These provisions would apply to health boards in counties with populations of 100,000 or more and cities in those counties. The vendor would submit contact details, planned foods, an operating area, a business name, and cart plans. A fee would be due only if the board set one. Renewal could use a letter instead of a new application only if the foods, cart, and service area had not changed. Each registration would last one year.

A registered compact food cart vendor could sell specified food items. The listed foods include drinks, snacks, and other foods that do not need time or temperature controls for safety. Food would have to be purchased prepackaged or prepared in a commercial-grade kitchen or on the cart, and federal rules could limit what may be sold. At special events, vendors would also need the required sidewalk vending permit or approval and would have to meet local event rules. The health board could approve other foods, require food to be discarded at day's end, or require disposable utensils.

Local health boards would have to post vendor guidance and approved food information online. These duties would apply to health boards in counties with populations of 100,000 or more and cities in those counties. Guidance would explain local rules and how to apply or register. Documents and food information would have to be easy to find and available in more than one language.

The bill would exempt certain small food sellers and registered compact food cart vendors from the definition of a food establishment. The provisions cover qualifying small food sellers and compact food cart vendors meeting the stated conditions. The exemption for other sellers would cover only places with no more than 150 square feet of display or storage space that sell only whole produce or certain commercially prepackaged food that is not potentially hazardous. The cart vendor exemption would apply only to registered vendors selling foods listed in the bill.