California’s Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKOs) program has proven to be a successful, safe, and inclusive pathway for small-scale food entrepreneurs, particularly people of color, women, immigrants, and caregivers with limited capital. Since launching in 2019, the program has supported household incomes, expanded access to culturally relevant food, and demonstrated strong compliance with health and safety standards. However, under current law, the program is only available in jurisdictions that choose to opt in. This has created uneven access across the state, where opportunities to operate a legal, regulated home-based food business depend more on geography than on public health considerations, leaving many Californians without a viable pathway to participate.
AB 2315 would make the MEHKO program available statewide, eliminating the need for local jurisdictions to take separate legislative action to adopt it. The bill ensures equal access to entrepreneurial opportunities for all Californians while reducing administrative burdens on local governments. It preserves existing food safety standards and local authority over permitting, inspections, and enforcement, and sets a clear implementation timeline to promote consistency. Importantly, AB 2315 does not change how MEHKOs are regulated; it simply extends an already successful framework so that entrepreneurs across the state can benefit, regardless of their ZIP code.
AB 2315 will be heard in the Assembly Committee on Health in April.
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