H.B. No. 2844 establishes the Mobile Food Vendor Regulatory Consistency Act under Chapter 437B of the Health & Safety Code in Texas, requiring individuals to obtain a mobile food vending license from the department for each food vending vehicle they operate. The bill aims to promote small business opportunities, improve consumer access to local foods, and standardize regulations statewide, prohibiting local authorities from imposing conflicting rules. It outlines the application process, including necessary documentation and a fee structure capped at $150, while allowing the executive commissioner to adopt rules to ensure regulations are not overly burdensome.

The legislation also introduces specific classifications for mobile food vendors based on the type of food served, which will dictate the frequency of health inspections and includes a grading system for compliance. Local authorities are granted the ability to regulate aspects such as noise levels and public access, but cannot impose excessive restrictions. The bill amends existing laws to clarify enforcement procedures and removes references to "mobile food units" and "roadside food vendors." It exempts licensed mobile food vendors from certain regulations and sets a timeline for implementing these changes, with a grace period until July 1, 2026, for compliance with the new licensing requirements.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Health and Safety Code 437.001, Health and Safety Code 437.002, Health and Safety Code 437.003, Health and Safety Code 437.004, Health and Safety Code 437.0055, Health and Safety Code 437.0057, Health and Safety Code 437.0076, Health and Safety Code 437.0095, Health and Safety Code 437.012, Health and Safety Code 437.014, Health and Safety Code 437.0145, Health and Safety Code 437.015, Health and Safety Code 437.016, Health and Safety Code 437.0165, Health and Safety Code 437.0185, Health and Safety Code 437.021, Health and Safety Code 121.0035, Penal Code 37.01, Health and Safety Code 437.0073 (Health and Safety Code 437, Health and Safety Code 121, Penal Code 37)