04/25/2019 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

               HB 81-PROHIBIT PLASTIC RETAIL BAGS                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:04:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HANNAN announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 81,  "An Act  prohibiting disposable  plastic                                                               
shopping bags; and providing for an effective date."                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:04:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN  noted that  a National Public  Radio (NPR)                                                               
article had  been circulated regarding the  economics of plastic,                                                               
paper,  and  cloth   bags,  as  well  as  the   issue  of  carbon                                                               
footprints.  He asked for the bill sponsor's response.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:05:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ELISE  SORUM-BIRK, Staff,  Representative Andy  Josephson, Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  on behalf of Representative  Josephson, prime                                                               
sponsor of HB 81, said the  sponsor's staff looked into the issue                                                               
once  that article  had been  brought  to their  attention.   She                                                               
stated  that plastic  bags  being less  expensive  and easier  to                                                               
produce  does not  eliminate the  issue that  plastic bags  are a                                                               
major source of marine debris and  pollution.  She added that the                                                               
smaller carbon  footprint involved  in the production  of plastic                                                               
versus cloth  bags does not  "eliminate why we should  be getting                                                               
rid of them."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:06:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HANNAN handed the gavel to Co-Chair Drummond.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:06:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HANNAN moved to adopt Amendment  1 to HB 81, labeled 31-                                                               
LS0205\A.1, Nauman, 4/17/19, which read as follows:                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, lines 19 - 27:                                                                                                     
          Delete all material and insert:                                                                                       
               "(2)  "retail seller" includes a market,                                                                         
     grocery store, convenience store, drug store, or other                                                                     
     retail establishment that                                                                                                  
               (A)  sells goods to consumers; and                                                                               
     (B)  is located in a permanent building;"                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:07:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HANNAN spoke  to Amendment 1.  She said  under HB 81, "a                                                               
retail establishment selling over  $250,000 worth of goods" would                                                               
have to  "comply with  the law."   Amendment  1 would  bring that                                                               
threshold  down so  that any  retail establishment  located in  a                                                               
"permanent building" would have to comply with the law.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:08:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ANDY  JOSEPHSON,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime  sponsor  of  HB  81,  said he  would  not  be  opposed  to                                                               
Amendment 1.   He  surmised that  "some accommodations  like this                                                               
will have  to be made" as  the bill moves forward.   He indicated                                                               
that the  [reason] for the  $250,000 threshold  had to do  with a                                                               
colleague from the  North Slope who had expressed  that "it might                                                               
be better for small communities"  because of "the practicality of                                                               
enforcement and the size of some of these businesses."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:09:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON  withdrew his  objection to  Amendment 1.                                                               
There being no further objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:09:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HANNAN  moved to  report  HB  81,  as amended,  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
zero  fiscal note.   There  being no  objection CSHB  81(CRA) was                                                               
reported  out  of  the  House   Community  and  Regional  Affairs                                                               
Standing Committee.