SF 1195

1st Engrossment - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/02/2017 09:29am

A bill for an act
relating to local government; prohibiting local governments from banning or taxing
paper or plastic bags; appropriating money for a pilot program; proposing coding
for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 471.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [471.9998] MERCHANT BAGS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Citation. new text end

new text begin This section may be cited as the Consumer Choice Act.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Merchant option. new text end

new text begin All merchants, itinerant vendors, and peddlers doing business
in this state shall have the option to provide customers a paper, plastic, or reusable bag for
the packaging of any item or good purchased, provided such purchase is of a size and manner
commensurate with the use of paper, plastic, or reusable bags.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Prohibition; bag ban or tax. new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no
political subdivision shall impose any ban, fee, or tax upon the use of paper, plastic, or
reusable bags for packaging of any item or good purchased from a merchant, itinerant
vendor, or peddler.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective May 31, 2017. Ordinances existing on
the effective date of this section that would be prohibited under this section are invalid as
of the effective date of this section.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; PLASTIC BAG RECYCLING PILOT PROJECT.
new text end

new text begin $20,000 in fiscal year 2018 from the environmental fund is appropriated to the
commissioner of the Pollution Control Agency for four grants to local units of government
to assist with plastic bag recycling efforts. Two of the grants must be for local units of
government in urban areas and two of the grants to local units of government in rural areas
of the state. By January 15, 2018, grantees shall report to the commissioner on the activities
and results of their efforts to increase plastic bag recycling.
new text end