A 6003: Removes the exemption for restaurants, taverns or similar food service establishments from the New York state bag waste reduction act.
The proposed law aims to reduce plastic waste by exempting certain types of bags from the ban on single-use plastic bags. These exempt bags include: - Bags used to contain uncooked meat, fish, or poultry - Bags used to package bulk items like fruits and vegetables - Bags used to contain food sliced or prepared to order - Newspaper delivery bags - Bulk packaging bags - Trash bags - Food storage bags - Garment bags - Prepackaged bags for sale - Bags provided by restaurants, taverns, or similar food service establishments to carry out or deliver food - Bags provided by pharmacies to carry prescription drugs These exempt bags will be allowed to continue being used, while the ban on single-use plastic bags will remain in effect for the remaining types of bags.
- What is the current status of A 6003?
- As of January 8, 2026, A 6003 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on January 7, 2026, was "referred to environmental conservation".
- Did A 6003 pass?
- Not yet. A 6003 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote A 6003, and where is it now?
- A 6003 was authored by Asm. Jo Anne Simon with 5 coauthors. Its committee of record is Assembly Environmental Conservation.
| Jan. 07, 2026 | referred to environmental conservation |
| Feb. 25, 2025 | referred to environmental conservation |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6003 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 25, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, STECK, ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to plas- tic carryout bags provided by restaurants The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 27-2801 of the environmental 2 conservation law, as added by section 2 of part H of chapter 58 of the 3 laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows: 4 1. "Exempt bag" means a bag: (a) used solely to contain or wrap 5 uncooked meat, fish, or poultry; (b) bags used by a customer solely to 6 package bulk items such as fruits, vegetables, grains, or candy; (c) 7 bags used solely to contain food sliced or prepared to order; (d) bags 8 used solely to contain a newspaper for delivery to a subscriber; (e) 9 bags sold in bulk to a consumer at the point of sale; (f) trash bags; 10 (g) food storage bags; (h) garment bags; (i) bags prepackaged for sale 11 to a customer; or (j) [plastic carryout bags provided by a restaurant,12tavern or similar food service establishment, as defined in the state13sanitary code, to carryout or deliver food; or (k)] bags provided by a 14 pharmacy to carry prescription drugs. 15 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00520-01-5