INDIANA – The House Commerce Committee approved a bill Tuesday that would prohibit counties from regulating lemonade stands, which are technically illegal under the current Indiana code.
“In Indiana and across the country, one of the first ways kids are introduced to business is through the truly American lemonade stand. It’s an incubator for entrepreneurship,” said author Rep. Blake Johnson, an Indianapolis Democrat.
Under House Bill 1019, counties, cities, and even homeowner associations may not ban or regulate lemonade stands by requiring permits or fees to sell non-alcoholic beverages from a booth on private property helmed by a minor.
“There are some stipulations here. The goal is not for your seven-year-old neighbor to have a brick and mortar at the end of their driveway and operate 30 days out of the month — it’s only two consecutive days and only eight days a month,” Johnson said. “(It’s) giving these kids the opportunity to test their chops on entrepreneurship, to be creative and learn the skills that would make them future Indiana business owners.”
Heather Harris, testifying on behalf of the Marion County Public Health Department, said the city of Indianapolis doesn’t currently regulate lemonade stands but urged the committee to limit beverage sales that might include milk or other products that need temperature controls.
“Sometimes you may have a smoothie or a milkshake or something that’s even prepackaged. You have to ensure that those products are cared for in a proper setting and you aren’t leaving them out in the sun, for example, or that you have them on ice,” Harris said.
The House passed a similar bill on lemonade stands two years ago but never received a hearing in the Senate.
The bill passed 11-0 and now will be heard before the full House on the third reading.
