HB 295

Bill Subjects

Administrative Regulations And Proceedings Appropriations Environment And Conservation Fees Pollution Waste Management

Abstract

Create new sections of Subchapter 43 of KRS Chapter 224 to create a beverage container refundable deposit fee program; define terms; require beverage containers sold or offered for sale in the Commonwealth to have minimum refundable values of 10 cents; require that distributors only sell beverage containers in the Commonwealth that bear the minimum refundable value; require distributors to collect the minimum refundable value from the retailer at the time of sale; require retailers to include the minimum refundable value for a beverage container at the time of sale; exclude the minimum refundable value from local occupational and gross receipts tax; require retailers to provide or contract to provide redemption centers to collect beverage containers and redeem minimum refundable values; require that at least quarterly, distributors refund retailers or redemption operators for the amount of each minimum refundable deposit refunded and pay an additional 2-cent handling fee per beverage container; prohibit redemption centers from paying minimum refundable values for empty beverage containers that have already been redeemed, have been imported from another state, or do not bear the minimum refundable value; allow redemption centers to refuse to accept and pay minimum refundable deposits for containers that do not bear the minimum refundable deposit value or that have already been redeemed; allow redemption centers to refuse to accept and pay minimum refundable deposits for containers that are broken, dirty, or contain other substances; allow on-site redemption centers to refuse to accept more than 144 beverage containers per person per 24-hour period; allow off-site redemption centers to refuse to accept more than 288 beverage containers per person per 24-hour period; require the Energy and Environment Cabinet to promulgate administrative regulations that set forth the operating and reporting requirements for redemption centers; every February 1, require distributors to pay unrefunded deposit amounts from the previous year to the Energy and Environment Cabinet for deposit in the Kentucky pride fund; allow redemption centers and distributors to retain any scrap value they receive for beverage containers they collect; amend KRS 67.750 and 139.470 to conform; amend KRS 224.43-505 to provide that the Kentucky pride fund receive excess unrefunded deposit amounts; provide that the unrefunded deposit amounts be used first for the implementation and administrative costs of Sections 1 to 4 of the Act, with excess amounts to be used by the Kentucky pride fund; direct the Energy and Environment Cabinet to submit a study of the feasibility of implementing a minimum recycled content requirement for certain single-use plastic products to the Legislative Research Commission and the Interim Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Environment on or before November 1, 2022; APPROPRIATION.