H.R. 1207·Middle School Intermediate
A Bill to Require Bottle Deposits Nationwide
Rep. Larsen (D-MN)
Establishes a federal 10-cent deposit on beverage containers, refunded on return.
Sec. 1 — Mandate
Beverage manufacturers shall include a 10-cent refundable deposit on every container sold in the U.S.
Sec. 2 — Refund
Consumers redeem deposits at certified return centers.
Sec. 3 — Funding
$250 million for return-center infrastructure.
Sec. 4 — Enforcement
EPA enforcement; civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation.
Tournament Prep
Mechanical parts, sourced & timed
Use this as your pre-round checklist. Memorize the source citation. Time yourself to the delivery target.
- Bill / Number
- H.R. 1207 — A Bill to Require Bottle Deposits Nationwide
- Funding source
- $250M for return-center infrastructure from EPA.
- Timeline
- Phased state rollout over 3 years.
- Realistic — 10 states operate bottle deposits with 70-90% return rates.
- Enforcing agency
- Environmental Protection Agency.
- Yes — RCRA gives EPA solid-waste authority.
- Penalty for non-compliance
- Up to $10,000 per violation civil penalty.
- Source citation
- Container Recycling Institute (2023), 'Beverage Container Deposit System Analysis' — container-recycling.org.
- Delivery time (read aloud)
- 55s
Strongest counter-argument
A federal deposit duplicates state programs and burdens small retailers.
Your pre-emptive answer
CRI (2023) shows deposit states recycle at 70%+, non-deposit states at 20% — the federal floor closes that gap. Sec. 3 dedicates $250M precisely to underwriting small-retailer return infrastructure.