HF 4965

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 04/13/2026 02:36 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to food safety; requiring the commissioner of health and commissioner of
agriculture to develop a proposal for the regulation of itinerant food sales in the
state; requiring a report; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin PROPOSAL FOR REGULATION OF ITINERANT FOOD SALES.
new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, "itinerant food sales" means the sale of food, including
beverages, from an establishment that does not have a permanent location and that is movable
from place to place. Itinerant food sales include but are not limited to operations conducted
from a food cart, mobile foot unit, seasonal temporary food stand, special event food stand,
or other vehicle, cart, or portable structure. An itinerant food sales establishment may be
motorized or nonmotorized and may operate for a limited or extended time period at a
location, provided that the establishment is not permanently affixed to the site.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner of health and commissioner of agriculture, in consultation with
all community health boards and local entities with delegated authority from the
commissioner of health or commissioner of agriculture for food regulation, and with
Minnesota's 11 federally recognized, sovereign Tribal Nations with food regulatory authority
on Tribal land, must develop a simplified proposal to regulate itinerant food sales in
Minnesota. The proposal must eliminate the duplicative regulation of business operators
by the state and municipalities and must ensure continued consumer safety through food
safety inspections and enforcement in all areas of Minnesota subject to the state's jurisdiction.
new text end

new text begin (c) The proposal must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) a conceptual description of how public health efforts will be coordinated among the
relevant food safety authorities;
new text end

new text begin (2) changes to Minnesota Statutes that are needed to implement the proposal;
new text end

new text begin (3) a fiscal analysis showing predicted budgetary impacts of the proposal on food
regulatory agencies; and
new text end

new text begin (4) a description of the actions needed for implementation and related timelines for
implementation.
new text end

new text begin (d) No later than January 1, 2027, the commissioner of health and commissioner of
agriculture must submit a report on the proposal to the chairs and ranking minority members
of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health and agriculture.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; PROPOSAL FOR REGULATION OF ITINERANT
FOOD SALES.
new text end

new text begin $95,000 in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of health for the commissioner of health and commissioner of agriculture, in consultation
with stakeholders, to develop a proposal for the regulation of itinerant food sales in the
state. This is a onetime appropriation.
new text end