Lawmakers in the Vermont House passed an updated version of the bottle bill during a summer session otherwise generally reserved for taking action on bills Gov. Phil Scott had already vetoed. The bottle bill, H.158, was an exception: It had not cleared the Legislature during the regular session and so had not reached Scott’s desk. House members approved the bill on a voice vote Tuesday afternoon, meaning it will head to the governor soon.
But Scott opposes the bill, his press secretary, Jason Maulucci, said Tuesday. If the governor vetoes it, the bill’s only path forward would come when the Legislature reconvenes — either next January or potentially this fall, when the House and Senate are expected to return for impeachment proceedings. The existing bottle law, last updated in 1972, is responsible for the 5-cent or 15-cent deposit added to some types of beverage containers. Those can be redeemed if consumers bring the bottles back to redemption centers, where they’re recycled.
Deposits that aren’t claimed have gone to the state’s Clean Water Fund, which funnels money toward efforts such as reducing water pollution and removing old dams. Environmentalists and lawmakers have argued that the bottle bill needs to be updated to keep pace with the development and sale of new beverages. The state’s current bottle law covers beer, wine coolers, malt beverages, pre-mixed cocktails and carbonated non-alcoholic drinks, along with liquor and spirits, whose deposits are 15 cents.