Bill > S06071

This bill establishes the "Pennies for Parks" program to provide additional funding for capital improvements at state parks, historic sites, and city parks by imposing a five-cent fee on single-use plastic carryout bags. The legislation aims to address environmental concerns about plastic bag waste while creating a dedicated funding stream for park maintenance and improvements. Under the bill, retailers will collect the five-cent fee from customers when providing single-use plastic bags, and they can retain one cent of each fee to cover administrative costs. The collected fees will be deposited into a new "pennies for parks fund" split into two accounts: one for state parks and historic sites, and another for city parks. Specifically, 45% of the funds will go to each account, with the remaining 10% potentially used for program administration. The bill includes numerous exemptions for the bag fee, such as paper bags, bags used for specific purposes like produce or prescription medications, and reusable bags. Additionally, the legislation requires annual reporting on the program's financial performance and its impact on reducing single-use plastic bag consumption. The goal is to provide supplemental funding for park capital projects while simultaneously encouraging more environmentally friendly consumer behavior.

Business and Industry

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6071