Proposed Virginia Legislation Addresses Abandoned Shopping Carts

An effort to address abandoned shopping carts with legislation has been revived in the new Virginia General Assembly session. State Sen. Scott Surovell, who represents parts of Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties, introduced a bill to allow local regulation by Fairfax County and Arlington County.

SB 631 would allow the jurisdictions to adopt ordinances to make the owner of the shopping carts accountable. Under the bill, the owner of an abandoned shopping cart would be notified. If the owner does not retrieve the shopping cart, it would be removed with the cost charged to the owner of the shopping cart.

The proposed legislation also authorizes these local ordinances to prohibit possession of a shopping cart outside the designated property when the owner posts a notice. A civil penalty up to $500 for the offense would be allowed in the ordinances.

According to WTOP, it's a misdemeanor in Virginia for someone to take a shopping cart away from the designated property, but enforcement may not happen.

Abandoned shopping carts have been a particular issue for Little Hunting Creek in Fairfax County. WAMU previously reported that the volunteer Friends of Little Hunting Creek cleaned up hundreds of shopping carts from the creek over the years.

Surovell's past legislation on placing the responsibility of abandoned shopping carts on the businesses failed. It did not pass after a full Senate vote on Thursday, Jan. 23, but the Senate then voted to reconsider the defeated action.