SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Chamber of Commerce has added to its job killer list SB 705 (Allen; D-Santa Monica), which prohibits food vendors from using take-out food containers made from polystyrene foam.
CalChamber has tagged SB 705 a job killer because this mandate would require food vendors and restaurants to use alternative packaging materials that are 2 to 3 times more expensive than polystyrene foam, increasing costs to businesses and consumers to the tune of approximately $150.8 million per year and adding procurement costs to the state of approximately $5.9 million per year.
SB 705 prohibits a food provider from providing prepared food to a customer in an expanded polystyrene food service container beginning January 1, 2020. The bill also authorizes a city, a county, a city and county, or the state to impose civil liability on a person or entity that knowingly violates that prohibition, or reasonably should have known it was violating that prohibition, in the amount of $1,000 per day for the first violation, $2,000 per day for the second violation, and $5,000 per day for the third and subsequent violations.
In its opposition letter, CalChamber shares a recent analysis highlighting the fiscal impacts and job losses from such a ban.
SB 705 is currently on the Senate Appropriations Suspense File.
For the current list of job killer bills, visit http://www.cajobkillers.com/priorities. CalChamber will continue to identify other job killers as bills are amended or further analysis reveals detrimental impacts of other legislative proposals.
The California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) is the largest broad-based business advocate to government in California. Membership represents one-quarter of the private sector jobs in California and includes firms of all sizes and companies from every industry within the state. Leveraging our front-line knowledge of laws and regulations, we provide products and services to help businesses comply with both federal and state law. CalChamber, a not-for-profit organization with roots dating to 1890, promotes international trade and investment in order to stimulate California’s economy and create jobs. Please visit our website at www.calchamber.com
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