The bill would require any retailer who provides paper or plastic bags for purchases to charge customers a 5-cent fee, starting on or after Jan. 1, 2010. It now goes to the House of Representatives for further action.
The proceeds would be sent to the state, collected in a special fund and spent on recycling programs.
Some lawmakers who opposed the bill say they worry that collecting the fee will become a hardship for struggling small businesses.
NEW YORK AND TRI-STATE AREA NEWS
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