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Board delays vote on citywide checkout-bag law after debate over outreach and fee
Summary
Supervisors debated expanding San Francisco’s plastic bag restrictions to all retailers and adding a 10¢ checkout charge. After amendments to narrow increases and lengthen implementation time, the board voted to continue the ordinance for further outreach to small businesses and multilingual communities.
San Francisco supervisors debated an ordinance Dec. 6 that would extend existing restrictions on single‑use plastic checkout bags to all retail and food establishments and require retailers to implement a checkout-bag charge.
The measure, introduced by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, would expand the city’s earlier plastic‑bag law to additional retailers, set a 10¢ per bag charge beginning in February 2014, and include exemptions for identified uses such as bulk and loose items. Mirkarimi said the fee and exemptions were modeled on other jurisdictions and meant to discourage both plastic and excess paper bag use.
Supporters argued the expansion targets litter, marine debris and landfill impacts. Melanie Nutter, director of the Department of the Environment, told the board the department had already distributed fact sheets in English, Spanish and Chinese, and planned merchant walks, canvas‑bag giveaways and multilingual outreach if the ordinance is adopted. Nutter also said the department’s compliance projections and past experience with San Francisco’s earlier bag law support the approach.
Several supervisors supported the bill’s goals but pressed for more outreach to small, immigrant‑owned and non‑English‑speaking businesses. Supervisor Jane Kim asked that outreach happen before final passage so businesses could help shape implementation and enforcement. Supervisor Scott Wiener and others reported merchants in their districts were unaware of the change and called for more targeted, multilingual meetings and merchant fairs.
Mirkarimi offered amendments that removed a proposed 25¢ later increase, extended the implementation period so the charge would take effect October 1 rather than July, added an exemption clarification for bulk and loose items, and increased the number of days stores may distribute free reusable bags. Those amendments won broad support on the floor.
After debate, Supervisor Kim moved to continue the ordinance until Feb. 7 to allow additional outreach. The motion carried 7–4. The board left the amended ordinance on the agenda for the February meeting, so further changes and a possible final vote can follow additional merchant outreach.
What’s next: The ordinance as amended would require the Department of the Environment to conduct multilingual outreach and could return to the board in February for final action; supervisors and small‑business advocates said they expect the outreach period to shape final implementation details.
Votes at a glance: Motion to continue to Feb. 7 — Passed, 7 ayes (Kim; Wien er; Chu; Cohen; Ellsburn; Farrell; and one other), 4 noes (Marr; Mirkarimi; Avalos; Campos).
