Sponsored by:
Senator JEAN STANFIELD
District 8 (Atlantic, Burlington and Camden)
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
“Arletha Atkins Act”; prohibits State department or agency from completely banning food trucks or mobile food commercial vendors from State property.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act prohibiting a State department or agency from completely banning food trucks or mobile food commercial vendors from State property, designated the Arletha Atkins Act, and supplementing Title 52 of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, no State department or agency shall prohibit completely food truck or mobile food sales by a commercial entity from State property. The State department or agency shall adopt such rules or regulations as may be necessary to ensure safety, prevent the impeding of traffic or access to State buildings or facilities, limit the number of vendors, hours, and locations within the property, and select the vendors for each location.
Each State department or agency shall develop a policy that would allow for active-duty military service members, military veterans, and their dependents to be given preference in the selection and location of approved vendors, and the policy shall include, but need not be limited to, a set-aside day and space on the property specifically for approved vendors that meet the above qualifications.
Sales conducted on State property shall take place entirely on State property and shall not be permitted to evade any municipal zoning or health ordinances. This section shall not apply to any private landlord with which the State is engaged for the purposes of leasing property.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits a State agency or department from completely banning food trucks or mobile food commercial vendors from conducting business on State property. The bill specifies that the State agency or department must develop rules and regulations to ensure safety, prevent the impeding of traffic or access to State buildings or facilities, limit the number of vendors, hours, and locations, and select the vendors for each location. The bill also states that the State department or agency must develop a policy to provide preference for active-duty military, veterans, and their dependents, including a specific set-aside day and location on the State property. The bill does not mandate that any private landlord who leases property to the State allow food trucks or mobile food vendors on their property.
This bill will not supersede any existing bidding process or other procedures already in place for allowing and contracting with food trucks or mobile food vendors to sell on State property, nor any municipal ordinances that are applicable to the operation of a food truck or mobile food vendor.
The bill will take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment in order for State agencies and departments to develop guidelines for sellers and to give notice to sellers on proper procedures for conducting their business on State property.
This bill may be known and cited as the Arletha Atkins Act.