Virginia Waterways Clean Up and Consumer Choice Act; paper and plastic bag fee. (HB1115)
Introduced By
Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✗ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Paper and plastic bag fee. Imposes a fee of $0.05 on paper and plastic bags used by purchasers to carry tangible personal property from the place of purchase. Durable, reusable plastic bags and bags used for ice cream, meat, fish, poultry, leftover restaurant food, newspapers, dry cleaning and prescription drugs are exempt from the fee. Retailers are allowed to retain $0.01 of the $0.05 fee or $0.02 if the retailer has a customer bag credit program. The revenues raised by the fee will be deposited in the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund. Failure to collect and remit the fee will result in fines of $250, $500, and $1,000 for the first, second, third and thereafter offenses. Read the Bill »
Outcome
Bill Has Failed
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 01/13/2010 | Committee |
| 01/13/2010 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/10 10103874D |
| 01/13/2010 | Referred to Committee on Finance |
| 01/17/2010 | Impact statement from TAX (HB1115) |
| 01/18/2010 | Assigned Finance sub: #3 |
| 01/25/2010 | Assigned Finance sub: #3 |
| 02/08/2010 | Impact statement from TAX (HB1115) |
| 02/09/2010 | Subcommittee recommends laying on the table |
| 02/16/2010 | Left in Finance |
Comments
Thank you for introducing this bill. It should pass in VA and MD as it has in DC. It isn't hard to learn to use reusable bags, and they are sturdier. I pick up litter almost every day, and most of it is plastic bags, bottles, cans and cigarette butts. Impose a fee on them all.
Please, pass HB1115.
This bill is a win, win for manufacturers and the environment.
The manufacturers can change over to environmentally safe bags for consumers and the retailers have financial incentive to save the environment and sell reusable safe bags for consumers.
I have reusable bags in my foyer and trunks of both of my cars.
Thank you, Delegate Ebbin for introducing this bill.
Thank you all for saving our environment.
Cindy Patterson
I agree -- this bill is win, win, win. Cotton growers will benefit (plastic bags can decrease the value of their crop); wildlife in our rivers & coastal waters will benefit; shoppers will benefit. Switching to reusable cloth bags is one easy step we need to take! Let's decrease our use of one-use plastic disposables!
Thank you Delegate Ebbin & others who see the wisdom in this action.