2020 -- S 2210 | |
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LC003940 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS - STATE PURCHASES | |
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Introduced By: Senators Miller, Sosnowski, Euer, Satchell, and Conley | |
Date Introduced: February 04, 2020 | |
Referred To: Senate Finance | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Chapter 2 of Title 37 of the General Laws entitled "State Purchases" is |
2 | hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: |
3 | 37-2-82. State purchasing ban on plastic bottles, bags and polystyrene. |
4 | (a) State funds shall not be used to purchase single-serving bottled water for use in |
5 | facilities that are served by public water supplies or potable well water, except when required for |
6 | safety, health or emergency situations. |
7 | (b) State funds shall not be used to purchase single-use plastic checkout bags or expanded |
8 | polystyrene, except when required for safety, health or emergency situations. |
9 | (c) State governmental entities shall be prohibited from entering into a contract with: |
10 | (1) A food service provider that provides and/or makes available single-use plastic |
11 | checkout bags; or |
12 | (2) A food service provider that provides food in single service articles that consist of |
13 | expanded polystyrene. |
14 | (d)(1) For purposes of this section, “single-use plastic checkout bag” means a carryout |
15 | bag that is provided to the consumer at the point of sale for the purpose of transporting food, |
16 | groceries or other retail goods, and is made from compostable or non-compostable plastic and not |
17 | specifically designed and manufactured for multiple re-use. The term “single-use plastic |
18 | checkout bag” does not include the following types of bag: (i) Bags used by consumers inside a |
19 | business to package loose items, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, ground coffee, grains, candies or |
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1 | small hardware items; or (ii) Bags used to contain or wrap frozen foods, meat or fish, flowers or |
2 | potted plants, or other items to contain dampness or prevent contamination of other goods. |
3 | (2) For purposes of this section, “expanded polystyrene” means polystyrene that has been |
4 | expanded into a solid foam. Expanded polystyrene does not include expanded polystyrene |
5 | containers used for prepackaged food that have been filled and sealed prior to receipt by the food |
6 | service establishment, mobile food commissary or store; or expanded polystyrene containers used |
7 | to store raw meat, port, fish, seafood or poultry sold from a butcher case or similar retail |
8 | establishment. |
9 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS - STATE PURCHASES | |
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1 | This act would prohibit the use of state funds to purchase single-serving bottled water for |
2 | use in facilities where public water or well water is available, and the purchase of single-use |
3 | plastic bags or expanded polystyrene, except when required for safety, health or emergency |
4 | situations. This act would further prohibit any governmental entity from entering into a contract |
5 | with a food service provider that provides or makes available single-use plastic bags or provides |
6 | food in single service containers that consist of expanded polystyrene. |
7 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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