HB 423 — Skip the Stuff Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA H.B.SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 423 Short Title:

423 Mar 17, 2025 SESSION 2025 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK H D HOUSE BILL DRH40254-MC-143 Short Title:

RepresentativeRepresentatives von Haefen.Haefen, Butler, Roberson, and Harrison (Primary Sponsors).

For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.

Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House March 19, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REDUCE SINGLE-USE FOODWARE IN TAKE-OUT AND DELIVERY OF PREPARED MEALS.

Whereas, single-use accessories for food service are frequentlyfrequentlyprovided provided to customers that do not need them, resulting in unnecessary cost to food service operators and unnecessary waste that is costly for local governments to manage;

For instance, if fiftyfiftypercent percent (50%) of the United States' population used three paper napkins per day, that would total 450 million napkins for one day, which would require 31.5 million gallons of water to manufacture;

Utensils and straws are contaminated in manymanyrecycling recycling systems.

and *DRH40254-MC-143**H423-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 Whereas, it is in the interest of the health, safety, and welfare of all who live, work, and do business in the State of North Carolina that the amount of litter on public streets, parks, and in other public places be reduced and the amount of single-use foodware accessory waste be reduced;

Unless a different meaning is required by context, the following definitions applyapplythroughout throughout this Part:

Preparedfood does not includeraw eggs orraw,or raw, butcheredmeats, fish, or poultry sold from a butcher case, refrigerator case, or similar retail appliance.

130A-309.237, a food establishment shall not provide any single-use foodware or standard condiments to consumers for on-premises dining, take-out, and deliverydeliveryorders, orders, or when using a third-party food deliverydeliveryplatform, platform, unless the consumer requests the single-use foodware or condiment.

Page 2 DRH40254-MC-143House Bill 423-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (a) For deliverydeliveryorders, orders, food establishments maymayinclude include specific accessories such as cup lids, spill plugs, and trays in order to prevent spills or otherwise deliver food and beverages safely.

For violations of Part 2J of Article 9 of this Chapter, the penaltypenaltyshall shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00) per day.

For violations of Part 7 of Article DRH40254-MC-143House Bill 423-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 9 of this Chapter and G.S.

If a person fails to pay a civil penalty within 60 days after the final agency decision or court order has been served on the violator, the SecretarySecretaryof of Environmental QualityQualityshall shall request the AttorneyAttorneyGeneral General to institute a civil action in the superior court of any county in which the violator resides or has his or its principal place of business to recover the amount of the assessment.

Page 4 DRH40254-MC-143House Bill 423-First Edition