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Senate approves food‑truck bill creating six‑month inspection sticker and commissary inspections
Summary
Senate Bill 197, sponsored by Sen. Roberts, clarifies fire and health inspection standards for food trucks, authorizes a six‑month state fire marshal sticker and commissary inspections, and preserves local inspection authority. The amendment clarifying international fire code language was adopted before final passage.
Senator Roberts, sponsor of SB197, told the Senate the bill was the product of a two‑year process with input from food‑truck operators, the Alabama Department of Public Health and the state fire marshal. He described an amendment clarifying international fire code standards that the floor adopted without objection.
Roberts said the bill would allow food trucks to obtain a state fire marshal sticker good for six months and would permit local fire marshals and health officers to conduct inspections or shut down operations if violations are found. "At no point in this bill does it preclude any fire marshal, any health officer from going on inspecting on a drop by basis at any time," Roberts said.
Supporters framed the measure as easing regulatory burdens for small mobile food businesses while maintaining public‑health safeguards; the bill also gives state inspectors authority to inspect commissaries where mobile vendors prepare food. The floor adopted the amendment clarifying fire‑code language and then moved for final passage; the clerk recorded the bill as passed on the floor.
Senators thanked the stakeholders involved and noted the bill aims to balance small‑business concerns and consumer safety. The Senate recorded the final passage on the calendar and moved on to subsequent business.
