House File 776 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 776
BY ISENHART
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the purchase, use, and disposal of plastic
2 products.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 8A.311, Code 2021, is amended by adding
2 the following new subsection:
3 NEW SUBSECTION. 24. a. For purposes of this subsection,
4 “single-use plastic product” includes any of the following:
5 (1) Plastic bags.
6 (2) Cling film plastic food packaging.
7 (3) Nonrecyclable plastic bottles.
8 (4) Plastic straws.
9 (5) Plastic plates, nonreuseable plastic containers,
10 plastic cups, plastic lids, and plastic stirrers.
11 (6) Plastic cutlery.
12 (7) Plastic rings used in packaging.
13 (8) Plastic foam plates, plastic foam takeout containers,
14 and plastic foam trays.
15 (9) Any other single-use plastic products determined to
16 be included by the department of administrative services, in
17 consultation with the department of natural resources.
18 b. A state agency or a political subdivision of the state
19 shall not purchase or obtain for any purpose a single-use
20 plastic product.
21 Sec. 2. PLASTIC POLLUTION STUDY GROUP.
22 1. The department of natural resources shall assemble a
23 study group composed of relevant stakeholders, including but
24 not limited to a person associated with the manufacturing of
25 plastic products, a person associated with the recycling of
26 plastic products, a person associated with the operation of
27 a small landfill, a person associated with the operation of
28 a large landfill, a person whose occupation involves the use
29 of recyclable plastic, a person involved with an environmental
30 protection advocacy group, a person involved with a natural
31 resources conservation organization, an appointee from the
32 department of transportation, and a representative from a local
33 government board, council, department, or agency.
34 2. The study group shall estimate the amount of
35 nonbiodegradable plastics going to landfills, recycling
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1 centers, and wastewater treatment facilities in the state. The
2 study group shall quantify the presence of plastic pollutants
3 otherwise discarded in or discharged to the state’s land and
4 waters.
5 3. The study group shall prepare a report providing
6 recommendations for laws, policies, and best practices that can
7 be adopted by the general assembly, state agencies, political
8 subdivisions of the state, and other public and private
9 purchasers, users, transporters, and processors of plastics
10 to reduce and eliminate nonbiodegradable plastics and plastic
11 pollutants from waste streams and the natural environment. The
12 study group shall submit its report to the general assembly no
13 later than August 1, 2022.
14 EXPLANATION
15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
16 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
17 This bill relates to the purchase, use, and disposal of
18 plastic products. The bill defines the term “single-use
19 plastic product” and prohibits a state agency or political
20 subdivision of the state from purchasing or obtaining for any
21 purpose a single-use plastic product. The bill requires the
22 department of natural resources to assemble a study group to
23 estimate the amount of nonbiodegradable plastic moving through
24 waste streams in the state and quantify the amount of plastic
25 pollutants discarded in or discharged to the state’s land and
26 waters. The bill requires the study group to submit a report
27 to the general assembly no later than August 1, 2022, providing
28 recommendations for laws, policies, and best practices to
29 reduce and eliminate plastics from waste streams and the
30 natural environment.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 8A.311