THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY McGEEHAN, BELFANTI, BRIGGS, HESS, JOSEPHS, KESSLER, KORTZ, McILVAINE SMITH, M. O'BRIEN AND SIPTROTH, JANUARY 11, 2010

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, JANUARY 11, 2010  

AN ACT

Prohibiting grocery stores from providing to purchasers paper

and plastic bags for goods purchased at grocery stores.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Prohibition.

(a)  General rule.--No grocery store may provide to the

purchaser of its goods any paper or plastic bag for the use of

the purchaser to remove the goods from the grocery store.

(b)  Exception.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to the sale

at retail by a grocery store of paper or plastic bags which are

not used by a purchaser for the removal of any goods from the

grocery store at the time of the sale.

(c)  Definition.--As used in this section, "grocery store"

means a retail establishment primarily engaged in the business

of selling or otherwise dealing at retail in fresh meats,

produce and groceries.

Section 2.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.