The Nevada Legislature is considering a bill that would protect street food and merchandise vendors in counties with a population of 100,000 or more. Senate Bill 92 establishes that a city or county can’t outlaw sidewalk vending or impose criminal penalties. It would also create the Task Force on Safe Sidewalk Vending and require local health boards to adopt certain regulations.
Senator Fabian Doñate is one of the bill sponsors. He said the goal is to make it easier for families to earn money to survive, as well as to encourage entrepreneurship.
“Many of these folks that are street food vendors are just trying to survive and pay the bills to support their families,” Doñate said. “Part of our goal through this bill is to allow them the opportunity to apply for licensure and permitting with regard to the health district and also to create uniformity throughout the entire state. There are a lot of laws and a lot of regulations. And sometimes, it’s confusing for many of these folks that are barely getting into starting a new business.”
However, the bill received mixed opinions during its first hearing on Wednesday, March 1. Two of the main concerns expressed were food and public safety.
During the hearing, Clark County and the City of Reno voiced their opposition to the bill. Although Washoe County didn’t oppose the bill, it did ask to work with the bill’s authors to address some of its concerns.
Baltazar Gonzalez is a sidewalk vendor in Las Vegas.
“We want support because we are not harming anyone. Since we don’t have a steady job, we dedicate all our time to this to support our family,” he said in Spanish.