Freshman Senator McPike passes bill allowing food trucks to sell in commuter lots

Sen. Jeremy McPike (D-Prince William County) had a major breakthrough in the legislature this week. On Tuesday, he passed Senate Bill 515—the first bill passed by the freshman senator.

“I am happy to see such strong support from my colleagues and the food truck industry,” said McPike regarding the bill. “These are very active venues and I just wanted to help provide commuters with options to and from work.”

SB 515 granted food truck vendors the ability to sell food in commuter lots in Planning District 8—encompassing most of the Northern Virginia region. However, the bill required the vendors to apply for a permit and to pay business fees to the Virginia Department of Transportation, (VDOT). VDOT, in turn, will use the collected fees to pay for security cameras and to increase security personnel in these lots.

Due to the variation of commuter lot sizes in the area, food vendors will have to request access through a bidding process. The high volume of anticipated applicants will make the bidding process competitive, but it could also sieve out the best available vendors.

“This [opportunity] could be successful and help food truck vendors transition into restaurants,” McPike said.

Legislation for the bill was originally filed around mid-January and was eventually voted on for its third reading in the Senate on Tuesday. The Senate ruled in favor, 38-2— with Sens. Charles Carrico, Sr. (R-Galax) and Ryan McDougle (R-Mechanicsville) not ruling in favor.

Next on the agenda for SB 515, is to have it go through the House of Delegates. Hypothetically, if the House approves the bill as well, then VDOT would have to discuss zoning and security implications with various commuter lots within Planning District 8.

If the House rules in his favor, McPike expects the bill to be officially legislated no earlier than this fall.