A proposal backed by State Rep. Cam Cavitt could make it easier for Michigan children to operate lemonade stands without navigating local fees and licensing requirements. Cavitt testified this week before the Senate Committee on Regulatory Affairs in support of the plan, according to a release from his office.
The legislation, House Bill 6007, would remove certain restrictions on lemonade stands operated by minors that generate less than $5,000 in annual revenue. The bill remains under consideration in the Michigan Senate after receiving a favorable report from the committee.
Alpena family brought the issue forward
The proposal grew in part from a conversation at Cavitt’s Coffee Hour in Alpena earlier this year. Ethan Mielke told Cavitt that his brothers had been expected to pay recurring fees to operate a lemonade stand at a local farmers market. The family also gave the representative letters they had written about the issue.
According to the release, the Mielke family said Cavitt promised to help determine how the law could be changed. Ethan Mielke said the family hopes the bill reaches a vote and passes so other children will not have to pay fees to sell lemonade.
“Children in my community made me aware of this issue,” Cavitt said in the release.
Cavitt said the Mielke family’s experience demonstrated what he described as a mismatch between small children’s business activities and the regulatory burden they can face. He argued that lemonade stands can teach children about work, responsibility and entrepreneurship, but that those lessons should not be blocked by unnecessary requirements.
Rules currently vary across Michigan
The release says regulations and exemptions for lemonade stands are not uniform across the state. In some areas, local health departments require operators to obtain a license and pay a fee, meaning requirements can differ depending on where a family lives or sells lemonade.
Cavitt said HB 6007 is intended to provide families with clearer and more consistent rules. The measure would apply to qualifying stands run by minors and earning below the $5,000 annual threshold specified in the bill.
“A child selling a cup of lemonade should not have to navigate a confusing patchwork of regulations and fees just to learn the basics of running a small business,” Cavitt said in the release.
HB 6007 was reported favorably by the Senate Committee on Regulatory Affairs and remains in the Senate for further consideration. The source material does not state when the bill may receive a vote or whether additional changes will be made before lawmakers act.