LOC News
Single-Use Bag Ban Passes Senate – Heads to Governor for Signature
Legislation that prohibits retail establishments, including grocery stores and restaurants, from providing single-use checkout bags to customers, has passed on the Senate floor and is now headed to Governor Kate Brown for her signature. Several cities across the state have indicated support for HB 2509, which creates a statewide policy on single-use bags and requires a minimum fee of no less than 5 cents for each paper bag provided at retail establishments covered by the bill. The LOC has worked with proponents of HB 2509, including one of its chief sponsors, Representative Janeen Sollman, to ensure that the statewide legislation does not impact local ordinances already in place as of effective date of the bill. Local ordinances, charter provisions, and resolutions adopted or amended after the effective date of HB 2509 will need to include definition, requirements and restrictions that are identical to those established in the bill. Local governments can adopt, amend, and enforce penalties for violations of bag-ban provisions that differ from the enforcement provisions included in the bill and can require a restaurant or retail establishment to charge a fee of more than 5 cents.
In addition, HB 2509 requires the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to report on collection of the recycled paper bag fee from establishments that primarily sell groceries, and assess customer use of recycled paper checkout bags, reusable fabric checkout bags and reusable plastic checkout bags.
Contact: Tracy Rutten, Intergovernmental Relations Associate – trutten@orcities.org
Last Updated 6-21-19