Child entrepreneurs who open a lemonade stand, wash cars, or operate other occasional businesses now have another hurdle removed. With the passage of SB 47 — a bill we teamed up with Senator Heidi Balderee to help pass this session — children taking advantage of the 2017 “lemonade stand law” are not required to get permits until they turn nineteen.
With this small change, a young entrepreneur mowing lawns during their last year of high school would no longer need to obtain a permit or pay fees just to continue their side hustle until graduation.
Similarly, this change helps high school seniors who wish to participate in high school entrepreneurship programs, but would not be able to because they just turned eighteen.
We at Libertas have long been supportive of young entrepreneurs and are pleased that more youth will be able to learn about hard work and the free market. We applaud the Senate Business and Labor Committee and House Political Subdivisions Committee for considering and unanimously recommending the bill. We further applaud the House of Representatives and Senate for passing the bill with just one no vote (which we understand was a playful jab at the sponsor).
Local Government Policy Analyst
Lee is the Local Government Policy Analyst at Libertas Institute. He has had a lifelong passion for research, writing, entrepreneurship, local government, and building relationships with people from all walks of life.