On behalf of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the national trade association representing the leading manufacturers of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, dietary supplements, and consumer medical devices, I’d like to express strong support for HB1484, HB1686, and HB 2196 . This legislation expands access to essential menstrual and incontinence products for Virginia residents by exempting these products from local sales tax or permitting a locality to do so. CHPA recognizes menstrual health and hygiene and urinary incontinence are pressing public health issues. The sales tax exemptions proposed in these bills would be an important step to increasing access and affordability to critical menstrual and incontinence products for Virginia residents. We applaud the sponsors for filing these bills and we urge House Finance Subcommittee #2 to support their passage. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions on our position.

Please oppose HB 1645 which would reduce the penalty for failure to pay the litter tax from $100 to $10. • Virginia’s litter tax is, per capita, the lowest litter tax in the nation. • Businesses are only required to pay $20 or $30 per location depending on the type of business. If they pay their tax on time, they avoid a penalty. • Businesses are creating and selling products that will become litter. They should shoulder some of the cost of cleaning it up. • Virginia currently spends millions of dollars a year cleaning up litter pollution on the taxpayers dollar. Not to mention volunteers who donate their time and effort to clean it up. • The money generated from the Litter Control and Recycling Fund helps to clean up litter. I live on Thalia Creek in Virginia Beach and I enjoy kayaking. Every time I go out, I bring two large trash bags with me, and every time I fill them with litter I find in the creek. I collected over 100 pounds in 5 months. I stopped keeping track after that. In addition, I volunteer for waterway clean-up days with Lynnhaven River Now, and we have collected thousands of pounds of trash over the years. I am tired! Reducing the penalty for failing to pay the litter tax sends the message that Virginia doesn’t care about keeping the state clean. I don’t think that’s a message we want to send. Thank you.

Comments Document

Hello, my name is W. Mark Swingle and I am a Conservation Consultant with the Virginia Aquarium Foundation. We oppose HB 1645. Virginia has a history of inadequate attention to litter issues and the "litter tax" is a prime example. The annual tax ($20-$30 depending on the business) is the lowest in the nation for any state and there is ample evidence of substantial non-compliance from the affected business community. Proceeds from the tax support the Litter Control and Recycling Fund which provides grants to localities to address litter problems that impact our lands and waterways. We oppose HB 1645 which is an attempt to reduce the penalty from $100 to $10 for failure to pay the annual litter tax. The current penalty of $100 is more than reasonable for any business, and of course no business need ever pay the penalty if they are compliant with the nationally low annual fees. The state's Virginia Marnie Debris Reduction Plan has clearly stated the need for adequate funding to reduce litter problems affecting our natural lands, waterways, and wildlife. Penalty fees are in place to encourage compliance and $100 for a business is a perfectly reasonable and meaningful fine for failure to comply with rules regarding the litter tax. We oppose HB 1645.

Please oppose HB 1645. The litter tax supplements the costs of litter management in Virginia but far from generates enough money to keep our environment clean as it is. Reducing late fee sends a strong message that litter is not an urgent concern and that businesses in Virginia will not be held responsible for the impact their products have on the environment. Virginia's litter tax is already quite low compared to other states. Virginia tax payers are ultimately fronting the bill and should not have to increase their burden because companies do not pay on time. Until Virginia reduces litter opportunities by reducing single use products and incentivizing proper collection, litter will remain an issue in the Commonwealth. Litter impacts our wildlife, farmlands, waterways and local communities. The litter tax is a tool we have to help address this pollution. The best way to avoid late fees is to pay on time which companies should be doing if they want to continue to sell items that regularly pollute our environment.

Comments Document

I'm Zach Huntington, the Associate Director of Clean Virginia Waterways, we oppose this HB 1645 This proposed legislation would reverse the 2020 legislation that increased the litter tax penalty to $100. The easiest way for a business to avoid the existing penalty is to simply pay, on time, the litter tax (which is only $20 or $50 depending on the type of business). The income from this tax supports valuable programs across the Commonwealth. The 2020 legislation illustrated the seriousness with which the Commonwealth would address the litter challenge but this reversal, before the impact of the increased penalty could even be adequately measured, would be a mistake with significant consequences. Virginia’s litter tax is the lowest per capita of any state that uses a litter tax system. At a time when solid waste management and recycling are in crisis in many counties and cities in Virginia, we need solutions that will help rather than dismantle existing support structures. In FY2021, the Litter Control and Recycling Fund distributed $1,708,156 in grant funds to 305 localities that were matched at a rate of 1,138% with $19,437,533 from local governments through a combination of cash and non-monetary services. • Virginia spends millions of dollars a year cleaning up litter pollution on the taxpayers’ dime. VDOT estimates that it spends $3.5 million a year picking up litter on roadways. • The Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan recognizes the need to secure adequate funding to support local governments, nonprofits and others for infrastructure improvements, behavior-change campaign development and coordination to reduce litter and plastic pollution. Clean Virginia Waterways is close to completing a report comparing Virginia’s litter tax to other states and localities that use similar systems. As I mentioned, we are finding that Virginia’s litter tax is, by far, the lowest per capita. We are happy to share our research with the patron and members of the committee. We hope it’s the will of the subcommittee to reject this proposed legislation demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to ending the plastic pollution crisis

Please oppose HB 1645 which would reduce the penalty for failure to pay the litter tax from $100 to $10. • Virginia’s litter tax is, per capita, the lowest litter tax in the nation. • Businesses are only required to pay $20 or $30 per location depending on the type of business. If they pay their tax on time, they avoid a penalty. • Businesses are creating and selling products that will become litter. They should shoulder some of the cost of cleaning it up. • Virginia currently spends millions of dollars a year cleaning up litter pollution on the taxpayers dollar. Not to mention volunteers who donate their time and effort to clean it up. • The money generated from the Litter Control and Recycling Fund helps to clean up litter. I live on Thalia Creek in Virginia Beach and I enjoy kayaking. Every time I go out, I bring two large trash bags with me, and every time I fill them with litter I find in the creek. I collected over 100 pounds in 5 months. I stopped keeping track after that. In addition, I volunteer for waterway clean-up days with Lynnhaven River Now, and we have collected thousands of pounds of trash over the years. I am tired! Reducing the penalty for failing to pay the litter tax sends the message that Virginia doesn’t care about keeping the state clean. I don’t think that’s a message we want to send. Thank you.

Comments Document

Clean Fairfax, a 501c3 nonprofit working on environmental issues specific to litter and recycling is asking this subcommittee to vote against the bill to lower the late fee for the litter tax.

Please vote no for HB 1645! Friends of Accotink Creek STRONGLY OPPOSES any reduction in litter penalties. Reducing the penalty for late/non-payments sends the message that Virginia isn’t serious about litter. Virginia’s litter tax still trails far behind many other states’ penalties and litter funds.

Please oppose HB 1645 which would reduce the penalty for failure to pay the litter tax from $100 to $10. • Virginia’s litter tax is, per capita, the lowest litter tax in the nation. • Businesses are only required to pay $20 or $30 per location depending on the type of business. If they pay their tax on time, they avoid a penalty. • Businesses are creating and selling products that will become litter. They should shoulder some of the cost of cleaning it up. • Virginia currently spends millions of dollars a year cleaning up litter pollution on the taxpayers dollar. Not to mention volunteers who donate their time and effort to clean it up. • The money generated from the Litter Control and Recycling Fund helps to clean up litter. I live on Thalia Creek in Virginia Beach and I enjoy kayaking. Every time I go out, I bring two large trash bags with me, and every time I fill them with litter I find in the creek. I collected over 100 pounds in 5 months. I stopped keeping track after that. In addition, I volunteer for waterway clean-up days with Lynnhaven River Now, and we have collected thousands of pounds of trash over the years. I am tired! Reducing the penalty for failing to pay the litter tax sends the message that Virginia doesn’t care about keeping the state clean. I don’t think that’s a message we want to send. Thank you.

On behalf of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the national trade association representing the leading manufacturers of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, dietary supplements, and consumer medical devices, I’d like to express strong support for HB1686. This legislation expands access to essential menstrual and incontinence products for Virginia residents by exempting these products from local sales tax or permitting a locality to do so. CHPA recognizes menstrual health and hygiene and urinary incontinence are pressing public health issues. The sales tax exemption proposed in HB1686 would be an important step to increasing access and affordability to critical menstrual and incontinence products for Virginia residents. Delegate Greenhalgh for filing this bill and we urge this committee for passage. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions on our position.

On behalf of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the national trade association representing the leading manufacturers of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, dietary supplements, and consumer medical devices, I’d like to express strong support for HB1484, HB1686, and HB 2196 . This legislation expands access to essential menstrual and incontinence products for Virginia residents by exempting these products from local sales tax or permitting a locality to do so. CHPA recognizes menstrual health and hygiene and urinary incontinence are pressing public health issues. The sales tax exemptions proposed in these bills would be an important step to increasing access and affordability to critical menstrual and incontinence products for Virginia residents. We applaud the sponsors for filing these bills and we urge House Finance Subcommittee #2 to support their passage. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions on our position.

Please oppose HB 1645 which would reduce the penalty for failure to pay the litter tax from $100 to $10. • Virginia’s litter tax is, per capita, the lowest litter tax in the nation. • Businesses are only required to pay $20 or $30 per location depending on the type of business. If they pay their tax on time, they avoid a penalty. • Businesses are creating and selling products that will become litter. They should shoulder some of the cost of cleaning it up. • Virginia currently spends millions of dollars a year cleaning up litter pollution on the taxpayers dollar. Not to mention volunteers who donate their time and effort to clean it up. • The money generated from the Litter Control and Recycling Fund helps to clean up litter. I live on Thalia Creek in Virginia Beach and I enjoy kayaking. Every time I go out, I bring two large trash bags with me, and every time I fill them with litter I find in the creek. I collected over 100 pounds in 5 months. I stopped keeping track after that. In addition, I volunteer for waterway clean-up days with Lynnhaven River Now, and we have collected thousands of pounds of trash over the years. I am tired! Reducing the penalty for failing to pay the litter tax sends the message that Virginia doesn’t care about keeping the state clean. I don’t think that’s a message we want to send. Thank you.

Please oppose HB 1645 which would reduce the penalty for failure to pay the litter tax from $100 to $10. • Virginia’s litter tax is, per capita, the lowest litter tax in the nation. • Businesses are only required to pay $20 or $30 per location depending on the type of business. If they pay their tax on time, they avoid a penalty. • Businesses are creating and selling products that will become litter. They should shoulder some of the cost of cleaning it up. • Virginia currently spends millions of dollars a year cleaning up litter pollution on the taxpayers dollar. Not to mention volunteers who donate their time and effort to clean it up. • The money generated from the Litter Control and Recycling Fund helps to clean up litter. I live on Thalia Creek in Virginia Beach and I enjoy kayaking. Every time I go out, I bring two large trash bags with me, and every time I fill them with litter I find in the creek. I collected over 100 pounds in 5 months. I stopped keeping track after that. In addition, I volunteer for waterway clean-up days with Lynnhaven River Now, and we have collected thousands of pounds of trash over the years. I am tired! Reducing the penalty for failing to pay the litter tax sends the message that Virginia doesn’t care about keeping the state clean. I don’t think that’s a message we want to send. Thank you.

Dear honorable committee members, I'm writing today in support of HB 1920 and tax fairness for online news publishers. This bill would level the playing field between legacy media organizations like print newspapers and next-generation, online-only local news publishers like my Potomac Local News. My business is based in Stafford County, and I would not benefit from the provisions of the bill. But I speak together with my fellow online local news publishers in asking this committee to extend to us the same tax treatment under state law given to our direct competitors in print. The use of paper or the use of bits does not have a meaningful impact on the community service provided by our organizations. When local news is facing economic headwinds, next-generation local publishers should be given the same opportunities as those coming before us. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Sincerely, Uriah Kiser Founder and Publisher Potomac Local Media

Dear Chairman Fowler and Honorable committee members: I write to you today in support of HB 1920 and tax fairness for online news publishers. This bill would level the playing field between legacy media organizations like print newspapers and next-generation, online-only local news publishers like my organization, The Roanoke Rambler. My business is based in Roanoke and will benefit from the provisions of the bill. I speak together with my fellow online local news publishers in asking this committee to extend to us the same tax treatment under state law given to our direct competitors in print. Use of paper or use of bits does not have a meaningful impact on the community service provided by our organizations. At a time when local news is facing economic headwinds, next-generation local publishers should be given the same opportunities as those that have come before us. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Sincerely, Henri Gendreau Founder and publisher The Roanoke Rambler

On behalf of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the national trade association representing the leading manufacturers of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, dietary supplements, and consumer medical devices, I’d like to express strong support for SB 2196. This legislation expands access to essential menstrual and incontinence products for Virginia residents by exempting these products from local sales tax or permitting a locality to do so. CHPA recognizes menstrual health and hygiene and urinary incontinence are pressing public health issues. The sales tax exemption proposed SB 2196 would be an important step to increasing access and affordability to critical menstrual and incontinence products for Virginia residents. We applaud Delegate Byron for filing this bill and we urge the committee to support it's passage. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions on our position.

On behalf of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the national trade association representing the leading manufacturers of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, dietary supplements, and consumer medical devices, I’d like to express strong support for HB1484, HB1686, and HB 2196 . This legislation expands access to essential menstrual and incontinence products for Virginia residents by exempting these products from local sales tax or permitting a locality to do so. CHPA recognizes menstrual health and hygiene and urinary incontinence are pressing public health issues. The sales tax exemptions proposed in these bills would be an important step to increasing access and affordability to critical menstrual and incontinence products for Virginia residents. We applaud the sponsors for filing these bills and we urge House Finance Subcommittee #2 to support their passage. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions on our position.

Please oppose HB 1645 which would reduce the penalty for failure to pay the litter tax from $100 to $10. • Virginia’s litter tax is, per capita, the lowest litter tax in the nation. • Businesses are only required to pay $20 or $30 per location depending on the type of business. If they pay their tax on time, they avoid a penalty. • Businesses are creating and selling products that will become litter. They should shoulder some of the cost of cleaning it up. • Virginia currently spends millions of dollars a year cleaning up litter pollution on the taxpayers dollar. Not to mention volunteers who donate their time and effort to clean it up. • The money generated from the Litter Control and Recycling Fund helps to clean up litter. I live on Thalia Creek in Virginia Beach and I enjoy kayaking. Every time I go out, I bring two large trash bags with me, and every time I fill them with litter I find in the creek. I collected over 100 pounds in 5 months. I stopped keeping track after that. In addition, I volunteer for waterway clean-up days with Lynnhaven River Now, and we have collected thousands of pounds of trash over the years. I am tired! Reducing the penalty for failing to pay the litter tax sends the message that Virginia doesn’t care about keeping the state clean. I don’t think that’s a message we want to send. Thank you.