Bill textConnecticut met with two successes in 2009: First, legislation was passed to make unclaimed deposits the property of the state; second, bottled water was added to the list of accepted beverages.
| Bottled Water Expansion | |
|---|---|
| Bill Number and Name | House Bill 6602 Bill text |
| Beverages Covered | Adds bottled water. |
| Containers Covered | Excluded are containers over 3L containing noncarbonated beverages, and HDPE containers. |
In a special session in November of 2008, the legislature required beverage distributors subject to the deposit law to open separate bank accounts to retain container deposits, and to report the amounts accumulated in those accounts by April 30th to the Department of Environmental Protection.
Then, On January 14, the legislature voted to escheat those unclaimed nickels to the state's general fund, with the first payment due on April 30th, 2009.
On February 25, both the House and Senate approved an expansion of the current law to include water bottles effective April 1, 2009. Unclaimed water bottle deposits will also become the property of the state under the new law. Governor M. Jodi Rell signed the water bottle expansion bill into law on March 3, 2009.
Most water bottlers claimed that they would be unable to change their labels and prepare for the new system with such short notice, so many were granted an extension allowing them to distribute water without a deposit until October 1, 2009.
February 25, 2009: A budget-reduction bill passed, adding bottled water to the list of deposit-bearing beverages.
Chris Phelps
ConnPIRG
(860) 233-7554
[email protected]