One of the more closely watched bills of 2019 was Assembly Bill 1080, which aimed to reduce plastic packaging. Last-minute changes in the final hours of session left this bill at the wayside.
Now the Senate has pulled it from the inactive file, and the bill will likely have a floor debate before the end of session next week.
AB 1080 would mandate a 75%-reduction in single-use plastics by 2030 through recycling, composting and alternative sourcing.
A new amendment exempts some agricultural producers under the mandate, but is limited in scope and ag groups remain heavily opposed. The bill also calls for outreach to farmers, trade groups and other stakeholders to explore ways to reduce these plastics.
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The Senate counterpart to the bill, SB 54, remains inactive. A ballot initiative calling for similar measures that was proposed for the November election has failed to gain the signatures needed to be put up for a vote.
Top photo: AB 1080 author Asm. Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego
