Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB1918 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	I
2	2	119THCONGRESS
3	3	1
4	4	STSESSION H. R. 1918
5	5	To prohibit the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene food service
6	6	ware, expanded polystyrene loose fill, and expanded polystyrene coolers,
7	7	and for other purposes.
8	8	IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
9	9	MARCH6, 2025
10	10	Mr. D
11	11	OGGETT(for himself, Ms. BALINT, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. BEYER, Ms.
12	12	B
13	13	ONAMICI, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. CARSON, Mr. CARTERof Louisiana, Mr.
14	14	C
15	15	ASAR, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. CASTORof Florida, Ms. CHU, Ms. CLARKEof
16	16	New York, Mr. C
17	17	LEAVER, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mrs. MCCLAIN
18	18	D
19	19	ELANEY, Ms. DEXTER, Ms. ELFRETH, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. EVANSof
20	20	Pennsylvania, Ms. F
21	21	RIEDMAN, Mr. FROST, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. GARCI´A
22	22	of Illinois, Mr. G
23	23	ARCIAof California, Mr. GOLDMANof New York, Mr.
24	24	G
25	25	REENof Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HOYER, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. JA-
26	26	COBS, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. JOHNSONof Georgia, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE,
27	27	Mr. K
28	28	RISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. LATIMER, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LIEU, Mr. MAG-
29	29	AZINER, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK,
30	30	Mr. M
31	31	FUME, Mr. MIN, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. NADLER, Ms. NORTON, Ms.
32	32	O
33	33	CASIO-CORTEZ, Mr. OLSZEWSKI, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. POCAN, Ms.
34	34	P
35	35	RESSLEY, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. SALINAS, Ms.
36	36	S
37	37	A´NCHEZ, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SMITHof Washington,
38	38	Ms. S
39	39	TANSBURY, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. THOMPSONof California, Ms. TLAIB,
40	40	Ms. T
41	41	OKUDA, Mr. TORRESof New York, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. VARGAS, Ms.
42	42	V
43	43	ELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. WATERS, Mrs. WATSONCOLEMAN, Ms. WILSONof
44	44	Florida, Mr. K
45	45	HANNA, and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced the following bill;
46	46	which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
47	47	A BILL
48	48	To prohibit the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene
49	49	food service ware, expanded polystyrene loose fill, and
50	50	expanded polystyrene coolers, and for other purposes.
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53	53	•HR 1918 IH
54	54	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
55	55	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
56	56	SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
57	57	This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Farewell to Foam Act 4
58	58	of 2025’’. 5
59	59	SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 6
60	60	In this Act: 7
61	61	(1) A
62	62	DMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-8
63	63	trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-9
64	64	mental Protection Agency. 10
65	65	(2) B
66	66	IOLOGICAL PRODUCT.—The term ‘‘biologi-11
67	67	cal product’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-12
68	68	tion 351(i) of the Public Health Service Act (42 13
69	69	U.S.C. 262(i)). 14
70	70	(3) C
71	71	OVERED POLYSTYRENE FOAM WARE .—The 15
72	72	term ‘‘covered polystyrene foam ware’’ means— 16
73	73	(A) an expanded polystyrene cooler; 17
74	74	(B) an expanded polystyrene food service 18
75	75	ware; and 19
76	76	(C) expanded polystyrene loose fill. 20
77	77	(4) D
78	78	ISTRIBUTOR.—The term ‘‘distributor’’ 21
79	79	means any person that distributes covered poly-22
80	80	styrene foam ware that is sold or offered for sale in 23
81	81	the United States. 24
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84	84	•HR 1918 IH
85	85	(5) DRUG.—The term ‘‘drug’’ has the meaning 1
86	86	given the term in section 201 of the Federal Food, 2
87	87	Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321). 3
88	88	(6) E
89	89	XPANDED POLYSTYRENE .—The term ‘‘ex-4
90	90	panded polystyrene’’ means blown polystyrene and 5
91	91	expanded or extruded foams that are thermoplastic 6
92	92	petrochemical materials utilizing a styrene monomer 7
93	93	and processed by any technique or combination of 8
94	94	techniques, including fusion of polymer spheres (ex-9
95	95	pandable bead polystyrene), injection molding, foam 10
96	96	molding, and extrusion-blow molding (extruded foam 11
97	97	polystyrene). 12
98	98	(7) E
99	99	XPANDED POLYSTYRENE COOLER .— 13
100	100	(A) I
101	101	N GENERAL.—The term ‘‘expanded 14
102	102	polystyrene cooler’’ means a portable container 15
103	103	made entirely or partially of expanded poly-16
104	104	styrene that is designed or intended to be used 17
105	105	for cold storage. 18
106	106	(B) E
107	107	XCLUSION.—The term ‘‘expanded 19
108	108	polystyrene cooler’’ excludes portable containers 20
109	109	intended to be used for drugs, medical devices, 21
110	110	or biological products. 22
111	111	(8) E
112	112	XPANDED POLYSTYRENE FOOD SERVICE 23
113	113	WARE.— 24
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116	116	•HR 1918 IH
117	117	(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘expanded 1
118	118	polystyrene food service ware’’ means a product 2
119	119	made of expanded polystyrene that is— 3
120	120	(i) used for selling or providing food 4
121	121	or beverages; and 5
122	122	(ii)(I) intended by the manufacturer 6
123	123	to be used once for eating or drinking; or 7
124	124	(II) generally recognized by the public 8
125	125	as an item to be discarded after 1 use. 9
126	126	(B) I
127	127	NCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘expanded 10
128	128	polystyrene food service ware’’ includes any 11
129	129	product described in subparagraph (A) con-12
130	130	sisting of a bowl, plate, hot or cold beverage 13
131	131	cup, lid, clamshell, tray, carton for eggs or 14
132	132	other food, or any other item used for serving 15
133	133	or containing prepared food, including takeout 16
134	134	food and leftovers from partially consumed 17
135	135	meals prepared by food vendors. 18
136	136	(9) E
137	137	XPANDED POLYSTYRENE LOOSE FILL .— 19
138	138	The term ‘‘expanded polystyrene loose fill’’ means a 20
139	139	void-filling packaging product made of expanded pol-21
140	140	ystyrene foam that is used as a packaging fill (com-22
141	141	monly referred to as ‘‘packing peanuts’’). 23
142	142	(10) F
143	143	OOD SERVICE PROVIDER .—The term 24
144	144	‘‘food service provider’’ means a person engaged in 25
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147	147	•HR 1918 IH
148	148	the business of selling or distributing prepared food 1
149	149	or beverages for on-premise or off-premise consump-2
150	150	tion, including any— 3
151	151	(A) food service establishment, caterer, 4
152	152	temporary food service establishment, mobile 5
153	153	food service establishment, and pushcart; 6
154	154	(B) retail food store; 7
155	155	(C) delicatessen; 8
156	156	(D) grocery store; 9
157	157	(E) restaurant; 10
158	158	(F) cafeteria; 11
159	159	(G) coffee shop; 12
160	160	(H) hospital, adult care facility, and nurs-13
161	161	ing home; and 14
162	162	(I) elementary or secondary school, college, 15
163	163	and university. 16
164	164	(11) M
165	165	ANUFACTURER.—The term ‘‘manufac-17
166	166	turer’’ means any person that manufactures or im-18
167	167	ports covered polystyrene foam ware that is sold, of-19
168	168	fered for sale, or distributed in the United States. 20
169	169	(12) M
170	170	EDICAL DEVICE.—The term ‘‘medical de-21
171	171	vice’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘device’’ in 22
172	172	section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cos-23
173	173	metic Act (21 U.S.C. 321). 24
174	174	(13) P
175	175	REPARED FOOD.— 25
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178	178	•HR 1918 IH
179	179	(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘prepared 1
180	180	food’’ means food or beverages that— 2
181	181	(i) are cooked, chopped, sliced, mixed, 3
182	182	brewed, frozen, heated, squeezed, com-4
183	183	bined, or otherwise prepared on the prem-5
184	184	ises of a food service provider for imme-6
185	185	diate consumption; and 7
186	186	(ii) require no further preparation to 8
187	187	be consumed. 9
188	188	(B) I
189	189	NCLUSION.—The term ‘‘prepared 10
190	190	food’’ includes ready-to-eat takeout foods and 11
191	191	beverages described in subparagraph (A). 12
192	192	(14) R
193	193	ETAILER.—The term ‘‘retailer’’ means 13
194	194	any person that sells, supplies, or offers to con-14
195	195	sumers covered polystyrene foam ware. 15
196	196	SEC. 3. BAN ON EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE FOOD SERVICE 16
197	197	WARE, LOOSE FILL, AND COOLERS. 17
198	198	(a) E
199	199	XPANDED POLYSTYRENE FOODSERVICE 18
200	200	W
201	201	ARE.—Beginning on January 1, 2028, no food service 19
202	202	provider, manufacturer, distributor, or retailer shall sell, 20
203	203	offer for sale, or distribute expanded polystyrene food 21
204	204	service ware. 22
205	205	(b) E
206	206	XPANDEDPOLYSTYRENELOOSEFILL ANDEX-23
207	207	PANDEDPOLYSTYRENECOOLERS.—Beginning on Janu-24
208	208	ary 1, 2028, no manufacturer, distributor, or retailer shall 25
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211	211	•HR 1918 IH
212	212	sell, offer for sale, or distribute expanded polystyrene loose 1
213	213	fill or expanded polystyrene coolers. 2
214	214	SEC. 4. ENFORCEMENT. 3
215	215	(a) W
216	216	RITTENNOTIFICATION FOR FIRSTVIOLA-4
217	217	TION.—If a food service provider, manufacturer, dis-5
218	218	tributor, or retailer violates section 3, the Administrator 6
219	219	shall provide that food service provider, manufacturer, dis-7
220	220	tributor, or retailer with written notification regarding the 8
221	221	violation. 9
222	222	(b) S
223	223	UBSEQUENTVIOLATIONS.— 10
224	224	(1) I
225	225	N GENERAL.—If a food service provider, 11
226	226	manufacturer, distributor, or retailer, subsequent to 12
227	227	receiving a written notification under subsection (a), 13
228	228	violates section 3 again, the Administrator shall im-14
229	229	pose a civil penalty on the food service provider, 15
230	230	manufacturer, distributor, or retailer in accordance 16
231	231	with this subsection. 17
232	232	(2) A
233	233	MOUNT OF PENALTY .—For each violation 18
234	234	described in paragraph (1), the amount of the civil 19
235	235	penalty under that paragraph shall be— 20
236	236	(A) in the case of the second violation, 21
237	237	$250; 22
238	238	(B) in the case of the third violation, $500; 23
239	239	and 24
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242	242	•HR 1918 IH
243	243	(C) in the case of the fourth, and any sub-1
244	244	sequent, violation, $1,000. 2
245	245	(3) L
246	246	IMITATIONS.— 3
247	247	(A) F
248	248	OOD SERVICE PROVIDERS ; RETAIL-4
249	249	ERS.—In the case of a food service provider or 5
250	250	retailer the annual revenue of which is less than 6
251	251	$1,000,000, a penalty shall not be imposed 7
252	252	under this subsection more than once during 8
253	253	any 7-day period. 9
254	254	(B) M
255	255	ANUFACTURER; DISTRIBUTORS.—In 10
256	256	the case of a manufacturer or distributor the 11
257	257	annual revenue of which is less than 12
258	258	$5,000,000, a penalty shall not be imposed 13
259	259	under this subsection more than once during 14
260	260	any 7-day period. 15
261	261	(c) S
262	262	TATEENFORCEMENT.—The Administrator may 16
263	263	permit a State to carry out enforcement under this section 17
264	264	if the Administrator determines that the State meets such 18
265	265	requirements as the Administrator may establish. 19
266	266	SEC. 5. REGULATIONS. 20
267	267	The Administrator may promulgate such regulations 21
268	268	as the Administrator determines necessary to carry out 22
269	269	this Act. 23
270	270	Æ
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