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A09044 Summary:

BILL NOA09044
 
SAME ASSAME AS S08520
 
SPONSORRamos
 
COSPNSRSeawright, Ardila, Stirpe, Gonzalez-Rojas, Thiele, Jacobson, Stern, Davila
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd §27-1007, En Con L
 
Increases the handling fee paid to dealers or operators of a redemption center for the redemption of empty beverage containers.
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A09044 Actions:

BILL NOA09044
 
02/05/2024referred to environmental conservation
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A09044 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A9044
 
SPONSOR: Ramos
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to the handling fee paid to a dealer or operator of a redemption center for the redemption of empty beverage containers   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: This bill would increase the handling fee paid to any dealer or operator of a redemption center from three and half cents to six cents.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1: Amends subdivision six of section 27-1007 of the environ- mental conservation law to direct deposit initiators to pay a six cents handling fee for each beverage container accepted by the deposit initi- ator from a dealer or operator of a redemption center beginning April 1, 2024. § 2 Effective date.   JUSTIFICATION: The New York State Returnable Container Act (the "Bottle Bill") became law in 1982. In its over 40-year history, it has proven to be highly effective in reducing litter and increasing recycling rates. In 2020, New' York's redemption rate was 64%, roadside container litter was. down 70% and 5.5 billion containers were recycled in the state. Bever- age containers are the third most littered item in New York state. This program has saved valuable. materials from going into landfills and kept communities clean. Initially, the law assigned.a 5 cents bottle deposit on consumers, and the handling fee was 20% of-refund value' or 1 cent. In 1983 the handl- ing fee for redemption centers increased to 1.5 cents and then 2 cents in 1998. Then in 2009 the handling fee for redemption centers increased to 3.5 cents and has not increased again in 15 years. Since 2009, operational costs for small business redemption centers have continued to rise. Minimum wage in New York was $7.25/hr. the last:time redemption centers saw an increase in handling fees. Today minimum wage is $16/hr. As expenses continue to rise for redemption centers, includ- ing wage expenses, payroll taxes,. insurance premiums, and rentseir revenue source has seen no increase. The handling fee is the sole source of revenue for small business redemption centers. A large number of redemption 'centers have closed across. New York State and many more may be forced to close because they are facing insolvency. Approximately 3.1 billion bottles per year are handled by New York's 896 'small business redemption centers. The closing of small business redemption centers will have a detriment impact on our state. This bill will provide much-needed.relief for small business redemption centers so they can keep operating in our communities - maintaining our• streets and neighborhoods clean, protecting our environment from plas- tics and ensuring local jobs are not lost, all while not raising consum- er costs.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: None   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AN!) LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: To be determined   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
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A09044 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          9044
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    February 5, 2024
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. RAMOS -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Environmental Conservation
 
        AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation  to  the
          handling  fee  paid to a dealer or operator of a redemption center for
          the redemption of empty beverage containers
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section  1.  Subdivision  6  of  section  27-1007 of the environmental
     2  conservation law, as added by section 4 of part SS of chapter 59 of  the
     3  laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
     4    6.  In  addition to the refund value of a beverage container as estab-
     5  lished by section 27-1005 of this title, a deposit initiator  shall  pay
     6  to any dealer or operator of a redemption center a handling fee of three
     7  and  one-half  cents for each beverage container accepted by the deposit
     8  initiator from such dealer or operator of a redemption center. Beginning
     9  April first, two thousand twenty-four, the  handling  fee  will  be  six
    10  cents. Payment of the handling fee shall be as compensation for collect-
    11  ing,  sorting  and  packaging of empty beverage containers for transport
    12  back to the deposit initiator or its designee. Payment of  the  handling
    13  fee may not be conditioned on the purchase of any goods or services, nor
    14  may  such  payment  be  made out of the refund value account established
    15  pursuant to section 27-1012 of this title. A distributor  who  does  not
    16  initiate deposits on a type of beverage container is considered a dealer
    17  only  for  the purpose of receiving a handling fee from a deposit initi-
    18  ator.
    19    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13958-01-4
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