Raised Bill No. 165 Summary

• Establishes a 1% surcharge on gross receipts from dry cleaning services for all dry cleaning establishments using tetrachloroethylene, Stoddard solvent, or other chemicals, effective for services performed on or after January 1, 1995.

• Creates a "dry cleaning establishment remediation account" within the General Fund, funded by the surcharge collections and administered by the Department of Economic and Community Development to award grants for environmental pollution remediation.

• Expands eligible grant applicants to include business owners/operators of dry cleaning establishments, property owners where such establishments operate or operated, and certifying parties for contaminated properties.

• Requires applicants submitting applications on or after October 1, 2020 to demonstrate matching funds up to $10,000 before receiving grants; maximum grant amount is $300,000 per establishment.

• Permits grant funds to be used for contamination containment and removal, environmental site assessments, and potable water provision; applicants must bear costs under $10,000 and cannot be in tax arrears to qualify.