Politics & Government

Moran Introduces Bag-Tax Bill

The Virginia lawmaker says the fee would reduce littering, encourage use of reusable bags.

U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., on Monday introduced a measure that would impose a 5-cent fee on plastic and paper bags at grocery and retail stores in the commonwealth.

Monday was Earth Day nationwide.

The fees would go toward supporting the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

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The Trash Reduction Act of 2013 is modeled after a policy implemented in 2009 in Washington. Montgomery County, Md., has a similar policy.

The number of single-use plastic bags in the district dropped from the 2009 monthly average of 22.5 million to just 3 million per month by the end of 2010, according to a news release from the lawmaker's office.

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The Land and Water Conservation Fund Program provides matching grants to states and local governments for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities as well as funding for shared federal land acquisition and conservation strategies.

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