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GA SB434

Bill

Status

Introduced

2/24/2020

Primary Sponsor

Sally Harrell

Click for details

Origin

Senate

2019-2020 Regular Session

AI Summary

  • Prohibits food sales establishments, food service establishments, and retail stores from providing or selling single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food/beverage containers at the point of sale, effective July 1, 2022
  • Requires establishments to offer paper bags to customers without reusable bags and charge a fee of at least 10¢ per every $25.00 of merchandise purchased (for purchases over $25.00); SNAP and WIC participants are exempt from the fee
  • Exempts plastic produce bags, deli counter meat bags, bulk food bags, dry-cleaning garment bags, newspaper bags, trash bags, meat/seafood containers, and egg cartons from the prohibitions
  • Establishes a graduated penalty structure: a warning for a first violation, a $50–$250 fine for a second violation, and a $250–$500 fine for third or subsequent violations, with each point-of-sale transaction counted as a separate violation
  • Directs the Department of Natural Resources to establish a hotline and downloadable form on its website for reporting violations, with enforcement authority granted to the Department of Agriculture and county boards of health

Legislative Description

Waste Management; plastic bags and food service disposable containers composed of polystyrene foam; prohibit

Last Action

Senate Read and Referred

2/25/2020

Full Bill Text

No bill text available