NY S06907

Redefines "plastic carryout bag" as any carryout bag made of film plastic of any thickness that is not a reusable bag, closing loopholes in the existing ban

Establishes specific requirements for reusable bags: must be made of washable cloth/fabric or non-film plastic, have non-stretching handles, withstand 125 uses carrying 22 pounds over 175 feet, and have minimum fabric weight of 80 grams per square meter

Expands the definition of "film plastic" to include flexible sheets of petroleum or non-petroleum-based plastic resin of any thickness, including garment bags, shrink-wrap, and bags for prepared food delivery

Significantly increases civil penalties for violations: from $250/$500 to up to $1,000 for first violations and up to $5,000 for subsequent violations under the plastic bag ban; from $100/$500 to up to $1,000/$5,000 for recycling program violations

Requires stores that provided plastic carryout bags prior to March 1, 2020 to continue maintaining collection bins for recycling plastic bags and other film plastic