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Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘Resolve, To Establish the Plastics Recycling Task Force’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1 Plastics Recycling Task Force established; report. Resolved: That the Plastics Recycling Task Force, referred to in this section as "the task force," is established to develop a comprehensive plastics recycling management plan and recommendations for legislative, regulatory or local government actions necessary to increase the rate of plastics recycling in the State.
1. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection or the commissioner's designee shall serve as the chair of the task force and shall invite the participation of the following 5 members:
A. The Commissioner of Health and Human Services or the commissioner's designee;
B. A representative of a statewide business association;
C. A representative of a statewide restaurant association;
D. A representative of a statewide or national environmental organization with expertise in environmental protection, ecology or plastics pollution mitigation; and
E. A representative of the State's lobster industry.
 
Each member of the task force serves for the duration of the task force and serves without compensation.
2. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection or the commissioner's designee shall convene the first meeting of the task force no later than 30 days after the effective date of this resolve. The Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health and Human Services shall jointly provide staff support to the task force as necessary.
3. The task force shall, at a minimum:
A. Study the most efficient means of increasing the rate of plastics recycling in the State;
B. Study the effects of local, regional, statewide or other plastics product prohibitions on affected communities;
C. Develop uniform policies to be used by state and local governments to address plastics recycling;
D. Develop proposals for increasing public awareness and education regarding litter reduction, especially plastics litter reduction; and
E. Prepare a comprehensive plastics recycling management plan to be submitted to the Legislature under subsection 4, which must include, but is not limited to, specific recommendations for legislative, regulatory or local government actions necessary to increase the rate of plastics recycling in the State.
4. No later than January 15, 2020, the task force shall submit to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources a report containing its findings and recommendations, including, but not limited to, the comprehensive plastics recycling management plan described in subsection 3, paragraph E and any proposed legislation to implement the task force's recommendations. After reviewing the report, the committee may report out legislation to implement the recommendations described in the report.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, changes the title and replaces the bill with a resolve that establishes the Plastics Recycling Task Force to be convened by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection. No later than January 15, 2020, the task force must submit to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources a report containing its findings and recommendations, including a comprehensive plastics recycling management plan and recommendations for legislative, regulatory or local government actions necessary to increase the rate of plastics recycling in the State. After reviewing the report, the committee may report out legislation to implement the recommendations described in the report.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)