Do you support this bill?

Senate Bill S706

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Updates the definition of the term reusable bag

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Environmental Conservation Committee

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

co-Sponsors

2025-S706 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A7759
Current Committee:
Senate Environmental Conservation
Law Section:
Environmental Conservation Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §27-2701, En Con L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S8886, A9942

2025-S706 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Updates the definition of the term "reusable bag", as used in the environmental conservation law, to specify minimum material and durability standards.

2025-S706 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S706 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    706
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  MAY,  HINCHEY,  SKOUFIS -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environ-
   mental Conservation
 
 AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
   updating the definition of the term "reusable bag"

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 5  of  section  27-2701  of  the  environmental
 conservation  law,  as  added  by  chapter  641  of the laws of 2008, is
 amended to read as follows:
   5. "Reusable bag" means[:
   (a) a bag made of cloth or other  machine  washable  fabric  that  has
 handles; or
   (b)  a  durable  plastic  bag with handles that is specifically] A BAG
 THAT IS designed and manufactured for multiple reuse, AND THAT:
   (A) IS MADE OF:
   (I) CLOTH OR OTHER MACHINE WASHABLE FABRIC;
   (II) NON-FILM WASHABLE MATERIAL; OR
   (III) HAND WASHABLE OR MACHINE WASHABLE  CLOTH  OR  FABRIC,  INCLUDING
 WOVEN  OR  NONWOVEN POLYPROPYLENE, POLYETHYLENE-TEREPHTHALATE, POLYETHY-
 LENE MADE OF AT LEAST EIGHTY  PERCENT  RECYCLED  MATERIAL  AND  THAT  IS
 RECYCLABLE,  POLYESTER, OR NYLON FABRIC, OR A FABRIC BLEND THAT INCLUDES
 ANY SUCH MATERIAL;
   (B) HAS AT LEAST ONE STRAP OR HANDLE THAT  DOES  NOT  STRETCH  AND  IS
 FASTENED  TO  SUCH BAG IN SUCH A MANNER THAT ALLOWS SUCH BAG TO MEET THE
 STRENGTH AND DURABILITY STANDARDS UNDER PARAGRAPH (C) OF  THIS  SUBDIVI-
 SION;
   (C) HAS A MINIMUM LIFESPAN OF ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE USES, WITH A USE
 EQUAL  TO  THE  ABILITY  TO  CARRY A MINIMUM OF TWENTY-TWO POUNDS OVER A
 DISTANCE OF AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE FEET; AND

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.