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ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session

 

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2094

 

technical correction; tax debt; enforcement

(NOW: mobile food vendor; operation; rules)

Purpose

Allows a mobile food vendor to operate on private property in a residential area if it meets prescribed requirements.

Background

A city or town, by ordinance or resolution, may prohibit or restrict a mobile food vendor from operating in an area zoned for residential use or within 250 feet of an area zoned for residential use. A city or town may not require a mobile food vendor, property owner or lessee of a property to apply for any special permit that is not required for other temporary or mobile vending businesses in the same district (A.R.S. § 9-485.01).

The county board of supervisors (county BOS), by ordinance or resolution, may: 1) restrict or prohibit the operation of a mobile food unit in an area that is zoned as residential only;
2) prohibit a mobile food unit that is operating on private property from blocking ingress to and egress from the property; and 3) require a mobile food vendor to obtain consent from a private property owner before operating on the property. The county BOS may not restrict how long a mobile food unit may operate at a private property location, except that a mobile food vendor may not operate at a private property for more than 96 consecutive hours (
A.R.S. § 11-269.24).

The Director of the Department of Health Services (DHS) must adopt rules that establish the health and safety licensing standards for mobile food vendors and mobile food units, including the health and safety licensing standards for necessary commissary or other servicing area agreements. The Director of DHS must also establish a licensing process for mobile food units that delegates to the county health department in the county where the mobile food vendors commissary is located the licensing and health and safety inspection standards. A city, town or county may require a mobile food vendor to have a fingerprint clearance card (A.R.S.
§ 36-1761
).

A mobile food vendor is any person who owns, controls, manages or leases a mobile food unit or contracts with a person to prepare foods and vend from, drive or operate a mobile food unit (A.R.S. § 11-269.24).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1.   Allows a mobile food vendor to operate on private property in a residential area if the mobile food vendor:

a)   obtains written permission from the property owner;

b)   does not serve members of the general public; and

c)   is not the property owner, the spouse of the property owner or the trustee are not the same person.

2.   Prohibits a city or town from requiring a mobile food vendor to pay more than $50 in total fees per year to operate within the city or town.

3.   Prohibits the county BOS from requiring generators to be permanently affixed to the mobile food unit.

4.   Requires the DHS licensing standards to allow a mobile food unit to request an exemption from the commissary or other servicing area requirements if the mobile food unit is sufficiently equipped to meet health and safety standards without the use of a commissary or other servicing area.

5.   Requires, for a mobile food vendor that does not require commissary, DHS to delegate the licensing and health and safety inspection for state licensure to the county health department in which the mobile food vendor resides.

6.   Specifies that the newly prescribed requirements relating to a mobile food vendor do not preclude a city, town or county from requiring a mobile food vendor to be licensed if the licensing system includes a fingerprint clearance card, rather than a background check or identification.

7.   Makes technical changes.

8.   Becomes effective on the general effective date.

House Action

RA                  2/15/23      DPA/SE    5-2-0-0

3rd Read          2/28/23                        31-26-3

Prepared by Senate Research

March 13, 2023

AN/SB/slp