Children who operate lemonade or hot dog stands would be protected from petty calls to the police under a bill currently moving through the Senate. The legislation, co-authored by Dan Hall (R-Burnsville), would allow any child under 14 to operate a lemonade stand, hot dog stand, or another temporary stand without a permit.
Last year, a 13-year-old boy in Minneapolis nearly had his hot dog stand shut down when the health department received a complaint that he was selling without a permit. Rather than shut his stand down, the police paid for his permit. Similar incidents involving police have happened in Colorado, Missouri, Georgia, Texas, and California.
“This legislation is just pure
common sense,” said Sen. Hall. “Children operating lemonade stands are trying their first foray into business, and we shouldn’t discourage that at all. These
opportunities help our children learn the value of money—how to earn it, and
why it’s important to have it.
Additionally, these stands allow kids to exercise their creativity and give
them an additional opportunity to play and work collaboratively with others.
Why would we ever want to discourage that?”
Under the bill, children may operate a lemonade stand, hot dog stand, or sell
other goods without a permit if they meet the following requirements:
- The stand must be temporary
- The stand must be operated by a child under age 14
- The stand must be located on private property and with permission of the property owner
- The stand’s gross receipts must be less than $1,000
- If selling potentially hazardous food, the operator must post a sign that says “products sold at this stand are not subject to state inspection or regulation.”
The bill was heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on January 24, where it passed on a unanimous voice vote. It awaits action on the Senate floor.
