Bill text- 5¢ under 24 oz.
- 10¢ 24 oz. up to 1 gallon
| Bill Number and Name | SB 645, HB 1473 Bill text |
|---|---|
| Sponsors | Ellis |
| Beverages Covered | alcoholic, nonalcoholic, carbonated, or noncarbonated drinks. Excludes milk, 100% juice, and medical food. |
| Containers Covered | Sealed glass, metal, or plastic vessels, under 1 gallon |
| Deposits |
|
| Handling Fees | 1.5¢ per container |
| Unredeemed Deposits | Property of the state |
This bill puts a deposit on a variety of beverages, a beverage being described as "an alcoholic, nonalcoholic, carbonated, or noncarbonated drink prepared in liquid, ready-to-drink form and intended for human consumption." Although the bill does not specifically exclude any type of beverage in the definition of "beverage," it does list a number of beverage types it includes; notably lacking are wine and liquor. Further on in the bill, milk, 100% juice, and medicinal foods are explicitly exempted from a deposit.
The bill also requires the creation of the Texas Beverage Container Consortium, a group of representatives from the beverage, retail, and recycling industries, consumers, and government, to administer the program. Among other responsibilities, the consortium is required to establish the budget, procedures, and enforcement for the refund system.
Under this system, distributors are required to remit all deposits every month to a dedicated account maintained by the Consortium. The fund is used to run the deposit system as well as the state's water infrastructure plan.
Every 2 years, 2% of the "unencumbered" funds in the account are to be returned to distributors, and 2.5% are to be remitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
In addition to the per-container refund values and handling fees, the bill also allows for a handling fee and refund value based on weight, to be determined by the Consortium.
Curbside recycling programs are also eligible for reimbursement.
February 19, 2013: Both bills Introduced.
On March 26, the House bill was reported "left pending" in an Evironmental Regulation subcommittee. On April 24, the Senate bill was reported "left pending" in a Finance subcommittee.