Indy Standard

The Indiana House of Representatives has passed legislation proposed by State Representative Joanna King aimed at supporting food truck vendors in the state. The bill, known as House Bill 1577, seeks to create a statewide mobile retail food establishment license, allowing vendors to operate across different counties without needing local permits for each location.

The food truck industry has seen significant growth since the pandemic. A report from Grand View Research valued the U.S. food truck services market at over $1 billion in 2021 and projected a compound annual growth rate exceeding 6 percent from 2022 to 2030.

King explained that this new legislation builds on previous efforts to simplify the permitting process for food trucks. Last year, she authored a law capping certain fees and requiring local health departments to develop mobile retail food establishment permits based on universal state standards set by the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH).

"For the past two years, we have been working hard to allow food trucks to travel across our state without having different rules and regulations from county to county when in operation," King stated. "With these two pieces of legislation, the food truck industry can continue to grow without any unnecessary hurdles standing in the way."

House Bill 1577 will empower IDOH to establish procedures for licensure, inspections, and operational standards for mobile retail food establishments. Local health departments will manage license issuance, fee collection, and conduct semiannual inspections starting in 2027.

Additionally, the bill mandates transparency through a publicly accessible database detailing food truck inspections and violations. This measure aims to promote safety within the industry.

The bill now advances to the Senate for further consideration. More information is available at iga.in.gov.