Position Papers
In This Section
Author: Elizabeth Haskell
March 18, 2025
WHAT DOES THE BILL DO?
House Bill 25-1295, Food Truck Operations, would harm community planning to provide special benefits to a particular industry. The bill stops municipalities from regulating public roads and commercial districts to ensure economic vitality and employment opportunities of local businesses. The bill overrides local decisions about where and how often food trucks operate:
• By allowing food trucks to operate any in any zone district where restaurants are allowed
• By allowing food trucks as close as 50 feet to restaurants
• By allowing food trucks to operate as many days as they want
The bill also overrides local public health, fire, and licensing regulations by requiring jurisdictions to accept health and fire safety permits from other jurisdictions with potentially less stringent rules.
WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE NO
State mandates for food truck licensing are not necessary and would undermine community decisions about when and where transient businesses can operate. Municipalities largely welcome food trucks but have compelling reasons to regulate them, with a focus on the safety, health, and welfare of the public, based on a deep understanding of local conditions and community needs. The bill’s blanket standards benefit a specific industry to the detriment of communities.
Licensing. Most municipalities already honor food safety inspections conducted by any Colorado county and fire safety inspections conducted by the Colorado Fire Marshals’ Food Truck Inspection Program. Retaining full authority over licensure standards is essential for municipalities to:
• Ensure compliance with health and safety standards that protect consumers
• Maintain fair competition by holding transient businesses to the same standards as
permanent ones
• Ensure that food trucks remit fees and taxes properly
Time and place limits. Municipalities regulate when and where food trucks can operate for important reasons, including:
• Preventing specific businesses from overusing public space
• Protecting pedestrians and other vulnerable road users
• Ensuring that transient businesses do not negatively impact permanent businesses that
have invested in communities and provide regular employment
• Reducing traffic and crowd congestion in high-density areas
• Managing noise and waste generation
• Minimizing disruption in residential areas
• Preserving the aesthetic and functionality of commercial zones
YOUR OPPOSITION IS RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED
Voting NO on HB25-1295 supports local businesses, community desires, and local control over zoning and business licenses, which is essential for public safety, fair competition, and community harmony.
Contact: Elizabeth Haskell | CML legislative and policy advocate | 303-995-6467 | ehaskell@cml.org
House Bill 25-1295, Food Truck Operations, would harm community planning to provide special benefits to a particular industry. The bill stops municipalities from regulating public roads and commercial districts to ensure economic vitality and employment opportunities of local businesses. The bill overrides local decisions about where and how often food trucks operate:
• By allowing food trucks to operate any in any zone district where restaurants are allowed
• By allowing food trucks as close as 50 feet to restaurants
• By allowing food trucks to operate as many days as they want
The bill also overrides local public health, fire, and licensing regulations by requiring jurisdictions to accept health and fire safety permits from other jurisdictions with potentially less stringent rules.
WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE NO
State mandates for food truck licensing are not necessary and would undermine community decisions about when and where transient businesses can operate. Municipalities largely welcome food trucks but have compelling reasons to regulate them, with a focus on the safety, health, and welfare of the public, based on a deep understanding of local conditions and community needs. The bill’s blanket standards benefit a specific industry to the detriment of communities.
Licensing. Most municipalities already honor food safety inspections conducted by any Colorado county and fire safety inspections conducted by the Colorado Fire Marshals’ Food Truck Inspection Program. Retaining full authority over licensure standards is essential for municipalities to:
• Ensure compliance with health and safety standards that protect consumers
• Maintain fair competition by holding transient businesses to the same standards as
permanent ones
• Ensure that food trucks remit fees and taxes properly
Time and place limits. Municipalities regulate when and where food trucks can operate for important reasons, including:
• Preventing specific businesses from overusing public space
• Protecting pedestrians and other vulnerable road users
• Ensuring that transient businesses do not negatively impact permanent businesses that
have invested in communities and provide regular employment
• Reducing traffic and crowd congestion in high-density areas
• Managing noise and waste generation
• Minimizing disruption in residential areas
• Preserving the aesthetic and functionality of commercial zones
YOUR OPPOSITION IS RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED
Voting NO on HB25-1295 supports local businesses, community desires, and local control over zoning and business licenses, which is essential for public safety, fair competition, and community harmony.
Contact: Elizabeth Haskell | CML legislative and policy advocate | 303-995-6467 | ehaskell@cml.org
Additional Resources
Downloadable Position Paper for HB25-1295