LA City Council Reworks Street Vendor Regulations Before State Law Takes Effect

There are only 71 days until the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act becomes state law, and the Los Angeles City Council is scrambling to pass its own local guidelines to regulate street vending within Los Angeles.

Senate Bill 946’s recent passage is the driving force behind the rush. Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill on September 17, but it says that California cities and municipalities cannot prohibit or regulate vendors without an existing licensing system.

The bill forced the street vending permit issue throughout the state, placing City Council members into three separate meetings last Wednesday. Over 200 street vendors crowded into the hall to learn how the City plans to comply with SB 946. The body hopes to pass an ordinance by mid-November, according to the Los Angeles Times.

SB 946 invalidates the City Council and City Attorney’s street vending ordinance written last April. The Council’s new rules are required to address a number of issues, which includes a ban near major venues, health and safety, sidewalk space, fines, and a new permit system. The Council’s next street vending meeting is November 15.

• L.A. hustles to pass new rules on street vending ahead of new state law [ELA]
• Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Legalize Street Food Vending Throughout California [ELA]
• Selling Street Food in LA Will No Longer Be a Crime Starting in 2019 [ELA]