Committee adopts A4 amendment and advances SB 551 A to floor, narrowing scope to single-use plastic bags

The House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment adopted an amendment and moved Senate Bill 551 A as amended to the House floor on May 15.

Committee staff summarized the bill as prohibiting retailers and restaurants from providing reusable plastic or fabric checkout bags to customers, prohibiting food and beverage providers in convenience stores from offering single-use plastic utensils or condiment packaging unless requested, and prohibiting lodging establishments from providing small plastic personal-care product containers unless requested. The -A4 amendment considered in the work session removed the prohibitions on single-use plastic utensils and condiment packaging for convenience-store food and beverage providers and removed the prohibition on lodging establishments providing single-use personal health and beauty products. Staff reported a minimal fiscal impact and no revenue impact.

Vice Chair Gamba moved adoption of the A4 amendment; the amendment was approved after the chair called for objections and none were recorded that blocked adoption. Vice Chair Gamba then moved the bill, as amended, to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; the motion passed on roll call and a committee member volunteered to carry the bill to the floor.

Several representatives raised concerns about unintended consequences, including increased demand for paper bags and the long-term availability of domestic paper mills. "We need to be careful for unintended consequences because they come back and bite you," one committee member said. Another member noted that paper mills exist in her district and expected increased business if the measure reduced plastic bag use.

The committee approved the amendment and advanced the bill; the transcript shows the committee moved the amended bill forward and assigned a carrier for the floor.