Relating to persons authorized to refuse to accept and pay the refund value of an empty beverage container, and making penalties applicable

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.