House concurs in Senate amendments to beverage container stewardship bill

The House voted by voice to concur in the Senate's proposal of amendment to House Bill 915, a bill establishing an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program for beverage containers.

Member from Springfield walked the chamber through the Senate changes section by section, saying the amendments move the deposit-initiator definition to apply across the chapter, raise the handling fee for co-mingled containers to 4.5¢ (with other handling fees adjusted), and require that retailers and redemption centers be reimbursed under the pro stewardship plan beginning March 1, 2029, in lieu of handling fees. The amendment delays some exemptions for small retailers until March 1, 2029, authorizes the PRO to charge members administrative costs, increases the penalty assessment for failure to implement a stewardship plan from 10% to 25%, and sets operational standards and minimum convenience requirements for points of redemption, including at least one collection location in municipalities of 7,000 or more people.

The House Ways and Means committee reported a fiscal review: raising the handling fee paid by the Department of Liquor and Lottery to points of redemption to 4.5¢ would increase lottery costs by roughly $35,000 per year; the overall fiscal effect of increasing the penalty assessment depends on whether producers form a PRO or ANR fills that role. Committees and staff including legislative counsel and the Joint Fiscal Office provided testimony; the Environment and Ways and Means committees recommended concurrence on favorable straw polls.

The presiding officer announced the chamber had concurred in the Senate amendments by voice vote.