Proposed changes to Washington’s carryout bag policy did not advance this session after SB 5965 stalled in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. As amended by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, the bill would have banned plastic carryout bags, kept the existing $0.08 pass through charge on paper bags, exempted restaurants from the fee for offsite consumption, and expanded allowable materials for compostable film bags to include options such as potato starch.
The measure moved out of the policy committee along party lines but did not receive further action before the fiscal cutoff. A key concern was the projected negative fiscal impact tied to the loss of sales tax revenue from the current $0.12 plastic carryout bag fee. Because Ways and Means declined to act, the bill is effectively halted for the remainder of the session.
A companion measure in the House, HB 2233, also failed to advance, leaving no active legislative vehicle this year. Unless the issue is revisited through the budget process, changes to the state’s carryout bag requirements will not move forward in 2026. WR will continue to monitor any renewed discussion of this issue and keep members informed.
