SENATE DOCKET, NO. 26        FILED ON: 1/12/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 434

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Brian A. Joyce

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act prohibiting plastic carryout bags by 2019.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Brian A. Joyce

Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth

William N. Brownsberger

Second Suffolk and Middlesex

Cynthia S. Creem

First Middlesex and Norfolk


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 26        FILED ON: 1/12/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 434

By Mr. Joyce, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 434) of Brian A. Joyce, William N. Brownsberger and Cynthia S. Creem for legislation to prohibit polystyrene packaging by 2017.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 369 OF 2013-2014.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act prohibiting plastic carryout bags by 2019.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection shall promulgate regulations to prohibit the use of plastic carryout bags by the year 2019.  For purposes of this section, “plastic carryout bag” means a plastic carryout bag provided by a store to a customer at the point of sale for the purpose of carrying purchased items from the store. “Plastic carryout bag” shall not include plastic bags in which loose produce is placed by the customer to deliver such items to the point of sale area of a store.  This section shall not prohibit compostable plastic carryout bags, which conform to the current ASTM-Standard Specifications for compostability and is certified and labeled as meeting the ASTM-Standard by a recognized verification entity such as the Biodegradable Product Institute.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection shall promulgate regulations to enforce this section.