The Indiana House of Representatives recently voted unanimously in support of State Rep. Jim Pressel’s (R-Rolling Prairie) legislation to remove needless regulations on children’s refreshment stands.
Currently in Indiana, young Hoosiers must have a vendor’s permit to sell any nonalcoholic beverage, including lemonade. Without one, their stand can be shut down by police or local health departments.
Pressel’s legislation stops the over-regulation of children or teenagers who sell lemonade from private property or a public park, and eliminates the need for those under 18 years of age to have a license, permit or pay a fee to operate a refreshment stand in those areas.
“For kids, running a refreshment stand is a fun thing to do that helps them learn what it’s like to handle money and do business with others,” Pressel said. “This is commonsense legislation that gets rid of regulation preventing them from participating in a common childhood activity. If they want to sell lemonade from their driveway or in a public space, then government shouldn’t make it harder for them to do that.”
The bill provides that any lemonade stand set up in a neighborhood can only operate for two consecutive days and cannot operate for more than eight days in a 30-day period. Kids must also get approval from the managers of public parks for the location of the stand.
Pressel said lemonade was just one example of the items kids could sell. Others include candy, water and iced tea. Only alcoholic drinks are off limits.
If passed, Indiana would join 14 other states allowing children to run a lemonade stand without a permit.
House Bill 1077 now heads to the Senate for consideration.
