Commissioners decline state interlocal for food-truck inspections after HB 2844 briefing

Cameron County Public Health presented an overview of House Bill 2844 (referred to in the meeting as the Food Truck Freedom Bill) and a proposed interlocal agreement to perform state-assigned mobile food vendor inspections locally. The public-health presenter described the bill's timeline — rules posted May 22, DSHS portal opening June 1, licensing effective July 1 — and said the state would administer a single licensing portal while subcontracting inspection work to local health departments. She said the county estimates roughly 70–175 mobile vendors in the county depending on counting method and noted proposed state fees with reimbursements that may not fully cover local costs.

Commissioners voiced concern that the program would be an unfunded mandate that shifts inspection workload to county staff while the state retains the licensing fees. One commissioner framed it bluntly: “It’s an unfunded mandate,” and another warned the county could be asked to respond to many complaint calls despite limited reimbursement. After discussion, the court acknowledged the presentation and then voted to deny the interlocal cooperative contract with the Texas Department of State Health Services. The court also tabled related job-description changes for health inspectors pending further direction.