The details
The bill was put forth by state Reps. Cecil Bell Jr., R-Magnolia, and Janis Holt, R-Liberty, and allows counties with a population greater than 600,000 people to issue regulations against roadside vendors if it is adjacent to a county with a population of more than 4 million people, like Harris County.
“Every day, we see more individuals panhandling or selling unregulated food and merchandise from the median of busy county roads,” Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Gray, who testified in favor of the bill in April, said. “This law gives our county the tools to protect drivers, reduce traffic hazards, and crack down on vendors who ignore health, tax, and safety rules.”
The new bill will also assist with regulating roadside vendors in The Woodlands Township, where board members do not have ordinance-making authority to regulate on their own.
“One of the challenges of Montgomery County’s rapid growth is the proliferation of roadside and parking lot vendors as well as those soliciting money along our roadways, parking lots and rights of way. This increase in unregulated activity poses safety risks for both the vendor and roadway user,” said Cindy Heiser, The Woodlands Township board member. “HB 2012, now law, provides Montgomery County with additional authority to regulate these activities for the safety and welfare of these individuals and our community.”
What it means
As previously reported by Community Impact, HB 2012 was authored following concerns by Montgomery County commissioners regarding the lack of official regulations across the county for roadside vendors and rental developments. Under the previous bill wording, only counties that had a population of more than 1.3 million were allowed to place regulations on roadside vendors such as food trucks and live animal distributors.
The county will now be able to enact prohibition or other regulations on roadside vendors located on county roads, medians and parking lots within the unincorporated areas of Montgomery County. The regulations will impact:
- Solicitation on county roads and medians
- Placement of tents, tables or other temporary structures
- Selling of food or merchandise
- Selling of live animals
- “Our deputies routinely respond to complaints about individuals panhandling at intersections, creating traffic hazards or selling animals on the side of the road,” Precinct 4 Constable Kenneth “Rowdy” Hayden said. “This new law is a big win for public safety. It allows us to hold individuals accountable and keep our roadways clear and safe for drivers.”
- “HB 2012, now law, provides the county additional tools and authority to address these challenges,” said Linda Nelson, The Woodlands Township board member. “It is important to the safety and welfare of all involved.”
