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S 3911 New York Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Relates to food service item waste reduction

Summary
Prohibits public food service establishments operating in the state from providing excess food service items including single-use utensils, condiments, napkins and extra containers, to any customer except upon, and in accordance with, the express request of that customer.
Issues: ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentReduces unnecessary waste from food service items, conserving resources and decreasing landfill pollution through mandatory customer-request policy.95% confidence
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 30, 2025 Last action May 14, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

S3911A → S3911B · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to specifically target single-use plastic and disposable items, clarifying that reusable utensils for on-premises dining remain unrestricted. It also expanded the rule to apply to off-site meals ordered for takeout, ensuring customers cannot request these items even when eating away from the restaurant.
Scope change
The bill's scope was narrowed to apply only to single-use items rather than all utensils, and its applicability was extended to cover off-site consumption orders.
DEFINITION

Added a specific definition for 'single-use utensil' to clarify that the ban targets plastic, paper, and other disposable materials, while explicitly exempting reusable metal or non-disposable utensils used for on-premises dining.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the restriction on providing items to apply specifically to 'single-use utensils' instead of all utensils, and expanded the rule to cover meals ordered for off-site consumption.

Removed the definition for 'napkin' from the text, likely to align the bill's focus strictly on single-use plastic and disposable materials.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill number from S 3911-A to S 3911-B and adjusted the internal page numbering to reflect the amendment.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
4
Committee
2
Amendments
4
May 14, 2026
Upper · Passed
PRINT NUMBER 3911B
upper
May 14, 2026
Upper · Passed
AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
upper
Jan 7, 2026
Committee
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
upper
May 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
PRINT NUMBER 3911A
upper
May 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
upper
Jan 30, 2025
Committee
REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Pete Harckham
Pete Harckham
DDemocratic/Working Families
NY
40