Discarded or abandoned major appliances and providing a penalty

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill expands the applicability of a prohibition under current law regarding discarded or abandoned refrigerators and freezers. Under current law, a person who discards or abandons a refrigerator or freezer with a capacity of 1.5 cubic feet or more and fails to remove the door of the refrigerator or freezer is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not more than $50 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days or both. However, this penalty does not apply if, instead of removing the door, the latch on the door is adjusted to prevent the door from latching or locking. Also under current law, an owner, lessee, or manager who controls the premises on which a refrigerator or freezer has been discarded or abandoned is subject to the same penalties if he or she knowingly permits a discarded or abandoned refrigerator or freezer of that capacity to remain on the premises without removal of the door or adjustment of the latch.

Under the bill, the above penalties apply to discarding or abandoning a “major appliance” of any capacity, which the bill defines as a residential or commercial clothes dryer, clothes washer, dishwasher, refrigerator, icebox, freezer, stove, microwave oven, any other oven, or similar appliance that has a door. In addition, under the bill, the major appliance's door must be removed for the penalties not to apply regardless of whether the latch is adjusted.

Who's behind it

4 lawmakers are its authors⁠. 3 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.