HB500 Summary

• Changes criminal littering from a Class C to Class B misdemeanor with enhanced penalties including fines up to $1,000 and up to 100 hours of community service for second and subsequent convictions, or alternatively fines of $2,000-$3,000.

• Adds specific litter items (cigarettes, cigars, containers of urine, food containers) that result in an additional fine of up to $500 per violation when littered.

• Establishes presumption that a motor vehicle driver is the offender when littering is committed from a vehicle, and increases penalties when littering occurs from a motor vehicle.

• Expands the definition of "litter" to explicitly include plastic, cigarettes, cigars, containers of urine, and food containers.

• Allocates 50 percent of criminal littering fines to the State General Fund and 50 percent to municipalities or counties based on law enforcement agency involvement in the arrest or citation.