Senate Bill 197 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Dan RobertsSenator

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Food trucks and other mobile food vendors; require one health inspection and fire inspection to apply statewide

Summary

SB197 would create a statewide health and fire inspection system for mobile food units and exempt them from local inspections if they hold valid statewide certificates.

What This Bill Does

It sets up statewide health and fire inspections for mobile food units, exempting them from local inspections if they maintain statewide certificates; the State Fire Marshal must establish a uniform statewide fire inspection process and keep a list of certifying inspectors. Health inspections would be done by the county health department where the unit's commissary is located, and fire inspections by a local fire official, with records kept and certificates valid for six months; inspections must follow NFPA/IFC standards and include specified equipment checks. It imposes penalties for operating without valid certificates, with a Class C misdemeanor on first violation and a 30-day operating ban after subsequent violations, and the act takes effect July 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Mobile food units/vendors: would be exempt from local health and fire inspections if they maintain statewide health and fire certificates; subject to penalties if certificates are not valid.
• County health departments, local fire departments, and the State Fire Marshal: would administer and enforce the statewide inspection process, perform inspections, maintain inspector lists, and enforce penalties.

Key Provisions

• Mobile food units are exempt from additional local health and fire inspections if they hold valid statewide health and fire certificates; local jurisdictions may still inspect for health or life-safety issues.
• The State Fire Marshal must establish a uniform statewide fire inspection process for mobile food units and maintain a list of certifying fire inspectors.
• Health inspections are conducted by the county health department where the commissary is located; fire inspections are conducted by an authorized local fire official, with certificates valid for six months and mandatory record-keeping.
• Fire inspection requirements include compliance with NFPA 96 for hoods, regular servicing and cleaning tags, NFPA 58 for LP-gas, annual LP-gas tests by a certified gas fitter, NFPA 70 electrical standards, and LP-gas plumbing compliance; modifications can void certificates.
• Operating without valid health and fire certificates is a Class C misdemeanor, with a 30-day stop-work period for subsequent violations.
• The act becomes effective July 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Feb 19, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health