Bills › 90th General Assembly
Relating to persons authorized to refuse to accept and pay the refund value of an empty beverage container, and making penalties applicable
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 10, 2024
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 23, 2024
- Stopped: House committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: Senate committee
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2024 session adjourned on April 19, 2024, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Under current rules, some businesses with food licenses can choose not to accept empty beverage containers for a 5-cent refund. This bill would change that rule so these businesses must accept the containers unless they meet other specific exceptions. If a required business refuses to take back the containers or pay the refund, they could face a fine or jail time.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to persons authorized to refuse to accept and pay the refund value of an empty beverage container. Under current law, when a dealer sells beverages in eligible containers to a consumer, the dealer charges a 5-cent deposit on each beverage container. A consumer can take eligible empty beverage containers to a participating dealer or redemption center and receive a 5-cent refund for every eligible beverage container that the consumer returned. A dealer may choose to not be a participating dealer if the dealer holds a food establishment license and meets certain requirements, the dealer has entered an agreement with an approved redemption center for the operation of a mobile redemption system, or the dealer’s place of business is within a certain distance of an approved redemption center based on the population of the county. The bill strikes the exception for a dealer who holds a food establishment license, thus requiring a dealer who holds a food establishment license to accept and pay the refund value of empty beverage containers unless the dealer is otherwise exempt from being a participating dealer. A participating dealer who refuses to accept or pay the refund value of a beverage container when so required commits a simple misdemeanor. A simple misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than days and a fine of at least $105 but not more than $855.
House subcommittee
Named January 23, 2024. On February 1, 2024 it recommended passage. Vote Total: 2-0.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part