06 • 10 • 2016
NY Bag Fee Prohibition
To stop state legislation in NY that would outlaw local fees on bags.
New York City had just passed a law placing a 5 cent fee on all single use checkout bags, when a NY State Senator introduced a bill to outlaw such local fees on bags. There was a State Senate hearing in NYC where Surfrider staff testified, but the bill quickly sailed through both a committee and the full Senate. All three Chapters in NY activated and countered the other side's misinformation and flooded the State Assembly with calls, and emails.
Due to the pressure from the grassroots, the Assembly agreed to NOT post this bad bill for a vote, but the NY City Council also agreed to delay the implementation of the 5 cent fee law. So the NYC bag fee lives for now, but we may have to fight for it again next year.