Bill Text: NY S04844 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to enacting the "environmentally conscious purchasing act"; prohibits state agencies and political subdivisions from purchasing single-use plastic products; defines terms; provides exceptions for medical reasons and garbage collection.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [S04844 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S04844-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4844

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 15, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  PARKER,  COMRIE,  MYRIE -- read twice and ordered
          printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance

        AN ACT to amend the state finance  law,  in  relation  to  enacting  the
          "environmentally conscious purchasing act"

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
     2  the "environmentally conscious purchasing act".
     3    §  2.  Section 165 of the state finance law is amended by adding a new
     4  subdivision 2-a to read as follows:
     5    2-a. Prohibition on the purchase of single-use plastic products.
     6    a. For the purposes of this subdivision, "single-use plastic products"
     7  shall include:
     8    (i) plastic bags;
     9    (ii) cling film plastic food packaging;
    10    (iii) non-recyclable plastic bottles;
    11    (iv) plastic straws;
    12    (v) plastic plates, non-reusable  plastic  containers,  plastic  cups,
    13  plastic lids, and plastic stirrers;
    14    (vi) plastic cutlery;
    15    (vii) plastic rings used in packaging;
    16    (viii)  styrofoam plates, styrofoam take-away containers and styrofoam
    17  trays; and
    18    (ix) any other single-use plastic products determined to  be  included
    19  by  the  office of general services, in consultation with the department
    20  of environmental conservation.
    21    b. Except as provided in this subdivision, the state and  any  govern-
    22  mental  agency or political subdivision or public benefit corporation of
    23  the state shall not purchase or obtain for any  purpose  any  single-use
    24  plastic product.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03754-01-3
        S. 4844                             2

     1    c.  The  provisions of paragraph b of this subdivision shall not apply
     2  to:
     3    (i)  the purchase of plastic straws for a person requiring such straws
     4  due to a medical condition;
     5    (ii) the purchase of single-use plastic bags for  garbage  collection;
     6  and
     7    (iii) single-use plastic medical equipment.
     8    d. The attorney general shall investigate any violation of this subdi-
     9  vision  and provide a report to the governor, the temporary president of
    10  the senate, and the speaker of the assembly.
    11    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.