TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Two bills aiming to protect residents and the environment from harmful “forever chemicals” passed unanimously Tuesday through a state Senate panel, with one moving to bar local governments from paper straw use mandates.
Details: The Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources approved SB 958, a measure that would require local governments to uphold specific environment and public health standards when regulating drinking straws. Under the bill, straws must be renewable, biodegradable and compostable in order to be enforced as an alternative.
State Sen. Jennifer Bradley (R-Fleming Island) sponsored the bill and said it would prevent local ordinances from mandating the use of paper straws. The bill would preempt future plastic straw bans, requiring ordinances to comply with the standards outlined in the bill. It would also require local governments to update any existing regulations by January 2027.
“If you don’t have a straw ordinance, the bill doesn’t affect you. If you choose to enforce one, you have to have standards,” Bradley said during the hearing.
