Signed by Governor Kate Brown

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits single-use plastic checkout bags.

Highlights:

• Prohibits retail establishments from providing single-use checkout bags to customers, or recycled paper checkout bags, reusable fabric checkout bags, or reusable plastic checkout bags to customers unless the establishment charges at minimum five cents for each recycled paper checkout, reusable fabric checkout bag or reusable plastic checkout bag (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits restaurants from providing single use checkout bags to customers, or reusable plastic checkout bags to customers, unless the restaurant charges at minimum five cents for reach reusable plastic checkout bag (Sec. 2).

• Establishes that a violation of this act, measured by each day that the restaurant or retail establishment is in violation of this act, is a Class D violation subject to a maximum fine of $250 (Sec. 4).

• Defines “single-use checkout bag” as a bag made of paper, plastic or any other material that is provided by a retail establishment to a customer at the time of checkout, and that is not a recycled paper checkout bag, a reusable fabric checkout bag or a reusable plastic checkout bag (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that a “single-use checkout bag” does not include (Sec. 1):

• A bag given by a retail establishment to a customer not at the time of checkout, including but not limited to bags for:

• Packaging bulk items like fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, greeting cards, or small hardware items like nails, bolts, or screws;

• Containing or wrapping frozen food, meat, fish, flowers, a potted plant or any item that has dampness or sanitation issues necessary to address;

• Containing unwrapped prepared food or bakery goods; or

• Containing a prescription drug.

• A newspaper, door hanger, garment, laundry, or dry cleaning bag; or

• A bag sold in a package that contains multiple bags used for food storage, garbage containment, or pet waste collection (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text