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OLR Bill Analysis
SB 1115
AN ACT CONCERNING ENFORCEMENT OF CROSS -BORDER
BOTTLE REDEMPTION PROHIBITIONS.
SUMMARY
This bill makes a number of changes to the state’s beverage container
redemption law (“bottle bill”) that expand the state’s oversight and
enforcement of redemption centers. Principally, the bill:
1. requires redemption centers to be approved by, and annually
register with, the Department of Revenue Services (DRS), rather
than register once with the Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection (DEEP) as current law requires, and
expands the information they must provide as part of their
registration process;
2. requires redemption centers that accept more than 1,200
containers from any one person in one day to record certain
identifying information about that person;
3. adds a new monthly reporting requirement for redemption
centers and reverse vending machine operators;
4. authorizes the DRS commissioner to set an annual registration
fee for the centers, examine their accounts and records, and take
specified enforcement actions against them for violating certain
requirements under the bill and existing law; and
5. prohibits dealers and redemption centers from removing
beverage containers from their premises or transferring them
between premises that they control before having them removed
by a distributor.
The bill also requires the DRS commissioner to compensate deposit 2025SB-01115-R00-BA.DOCX
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initiators (i.e. the first distributor to collect the deposit) for deficiencies
that result from them paying out more in refunds than they sold in a
given quarter. It also makes minor and technical changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2025
REDEMPTION CENTER RE QUIREMENTS
Approval and Annual Registration
Current law requires prospective redemption center owners to
register with the DEEP commissioner and provide certain information,
including the business’s address and hours, principals, sponsors and
dealers served, and beverage containers accepted. The bill instead
requires redemption centers to be approved by and register annually
with DRS. It also expands the information they must provide on their
registration forms to include:
1. a floor plan for the redemption center that has (a) adequate and
sanitary storage space, and (b) safe and sanitary loading,
unloading, and vehicular access space; and
2. records demonstrating sufficient financial resources to operate
the redemption center.
The bill makes a conforming change by requiring redemption centers
to report to DRS rather than DEEP on any operational changes within
48 hours after the change.
The bill requires the DRS commissioner to set a reasonable annual
registration fee for each redemption center to partially fund the agency’s
examination and enforcement actions, as described below.
Records Required for People Redeeming More Than 1,200
Containers in One Day
The bill requires redemption centers that accept more than 1,200
containers from any one person in one day to get and record the
following information for the person:
1. their name, 2025SB-01115-R00-BA.DOCX
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2. the license plate number of any vehicle used to transport the
containers to the redemption center,
3. the collection points of the empty containers, and
4. the number of containers brought to the redemption center.
The redemption center must have the person certify, to the best of
their knowledge, that the containers brought to the redemption center
were originally sold as filled beverages in Connecticut and were not
previously redeemed.
Monthly Reporting Requirement
The bill requires redemption center and reverse vending machine
operators to submit monthly reports to the DEEP commissioner on (1)
the number and type of containers redeemed, aggregated by town for
each town in which they operate and (2) any other redemption
information the commissioner finds necessary.
DRS ENFORCEMENT
Authority to Examine Records
Existing law authorizes the DRS commissioner to examine deposit
initiator accounts and records and related documents, such as receipts,
disbursements, and other items the DRS commissioner deems
appropriate. The bill extends the commissioner’s examination authority
to include the accounts, records, and related documents of dealers and
redemption centers. It also authorizes the commissioner to hire a
sufficient number of employees to carry out the examinations and
enforcement actions authorized by the bottle bill law (specifically those
relating to special accounts and allowing the DEEP and DRS
commissioners to file a complaint with the attorney general to institute
enforcement actions).
Enforcement Actions Against Redemption Centers
The bill authorizes the DRS commissioner, after notice and a hearing,
to (1) suspend or revoke a redemption center operator’s registration for
certain violations or (2) impose a fine of between $500 and $1,000 for 2025SB-01115-R00-BA.DOCX
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each offense. Under the bill, the commissioner may impose these
penalties if the operator:
1. fails to get DRS approval to establish a redemption center or
annually register with, and timely report operational changes, to
DRS;
2. fails to keep specified records for people redeeming more than
1,200 containers in a day, as required under the bill; or
3. removes beverage containers from its premises or transfers them
between premises before having them removed by a distributor,
as prohibited under the bill.
Any person aggrieved by these actions may appeal according to the
Uniform Administrative Procedure Act.
DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS TO DEPOSIT INITIATORS
Existing law requires deposit initiators to deposit the refund value of
containers they sell into special interest-bearing bank accounts. Deposit
initiators must use the funds in these special accounts to reimburse
dealers and redemption centers for the refunds on redeemed containers.
If a deposit initiator does not have enough money in its account in any
quarter to pay these refunds, it must subtract the deficiency from its next
quarterly remittance of unclaimed bottle deposits to DRS until the
deficiency is completely subtracted.
The bill requires the DRS commissioner to remit to deposit initiators
a payment from the General Fund equaling the (1) amount of any
deficiency credit the deposit initiator accumulated plus (2) a handling
fee for each container the deposit initiator paid that exceeds the number
of containers it sold through June 30, 2025.
Beginning September 30, 2025, if the deposit initiator does not have
enough money in its account in any quarter to pay the refunds, it must
not pay this amount to the DRS commissioner. Instead, under the bill,
the DRS commissioner must pay this amount to the deposit initiator
from the General Fund, plus the handling fee for each container 2025SB-01115-R00-BA.DOCX
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redeemed over the number sold during the quarter.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Environment Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 29 Nay 4 (03/24/2025)