New California bill protects street vendors' personal information

SAN JOSE, Calif. – New protections are in place for California street vendors, after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB-635 into state law last week. The law bars California from collecting sensitive immigration status details from street vendors or sharing that information with the federal government.

Californians are very familiar with street vendors. One can’t visit most of the state’s major cities without seeing them, near the side of the road, often with a treat or a cold drink on a hot day. 

One parking lot in San Jose is often frequented by street vendors of all kinds. The vendors, permitted and otherwise, set up shop and show off their tasty treats and wares. 

The lot is a microcosm of California’s larger street vendor economy, which brings millions into the Golden State each year.

“Little bit of everything, different cultures, different countries, there’s some stuff that I’ve tasted that I’ve never had before…It’s nice to have that diversity,” Jesse Calzada of San Jose told KTVU. 

Who’s behind the bill?

What they’re saying:

California State Senator María Elena Durazo authored the bill. 

“It is part of our economy, when they make the food, prepare the food, they are buying the products somewhere else…It’s actually in the millions, tens of millions of dollars that they contribute to the economy,” Durazo told KTVU. 

Valentin De la Cruz has been a street vendor for nearly two decades. He’s had a street vendor license in San Jose for four years. He says having his street vendor permit makes him feel very safe while serving customers in San Jose. 

“He works with no preoccupation…He feels safe with vending here,” De la Cruz told KTVU through a translator. 

Durazo says this feeling of safety is exactly why she authored the bill.

“We’re not going to be able to collect information that is sensitive, we can’t ask questions about their immigration status as they are getting their business licenses,” Durazo said.  

Across the lot from De la Cruz, Laura Hernandez sells mini pancakes, all while streaming live on TikTok for more than 40,000 followers. Her customer tells KTVU that she has made supporting small businesses a top priority. 

Jesse Calzada says street vendors are a big part of his community, and he’s glad to see that California leaders have their back.

“You’d rather see people doing stuff like this than break-ins. Or especially with the new thing they do, with smash and grab, I’d much rather see them do this. Work and make a living,” Calzada said.  

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