HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1515        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 857

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

David M. Rogers

_________________

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 restricting distribution of single-use plastic straws.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

1/15/2019

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

1/28/2019

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

1/29/2019

RoseLee Vincent

16th Suffolk

1/30/2019

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/30/2019

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

1/30/2019

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

1/31/2019

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

1/31/2019

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

1/31/2019

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

1/31/2019

Tami L. Gouveia

14th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

2/1/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/1/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1515        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 857

By Mr. Rogers of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 857) of David M. Rogers and others relative to restricting distribution of single-use plastic straws.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act restricting distribution of single-use plastic straws.

 

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

Chapter 140 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 6B the following section:–

Section 6C. (a) As used in this section the following terms shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-

“Food establishment”, an operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends, or otherwise provides food for human consumption, including but not limited to any establishment requiring a permit to operate in accordance with the State Food Code.

“Single-use plastic straw”, a single-use, disposable tube made predominantly of plastic derived from either petroleum or a biologically based polymer, such as corn or other plant sources, used to transfer a beverage from a container to the mouth of the person drinking the beverage. “Single-use plastic straw” shall not include a straw made from non-plastic materials, including, but not limited to, paper, pasta, sugar cane, wood, or bamboo.

(b) A food establishment shall not provide a single-use plastic straw to a customer unless requested by the customer.

(c) The relevant licensing authority applicable to the food establishment may enforce the provisions of this section for a first violation of this section by providing a written warning and for a second or subsequent violation a fine of $25 for each day food establishment is in violation, but not to exceed $300 annually.