The bid by lawmakers to ban Styrofoam, and paper and plastic bags, has once again stalled in the state Legislature as the two houses butt heads over a timeline for rolling out restrictions.

Although a Senate panel approved a version of the measure in January – Senate Bill 664 – that would ban all three in 18 months, rather than two years as initially proposed earlier that month, Assembly leadership has begun to question that schedule. During his monthly radio segment on Feb. 14, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-19th District, floated an idea to stagger a stoppage on all three.

“Is 18 months the right time, should it be shorter, should it be faster, should it be staggered,” the speaker said. “Do we stagger the paper bag and plastic bag implementation period, there’s issues around that for example.”

Similar disputes over the timeline ultimately dashed any hopes of having the plastic bag legislation passed before the end of the last legislative voting session, according to sponsor Sen. Bob Smith, D-17th District. “The Senate President and the Speaker are going to have to get into a room hopefully with a representative from the front office, and come to an understanding – a deal,” Smith told NJBIZ on Tuesday.

A one-year exemption spelled out in the bill for hospitals was backed by Coughlin, according to Smith. S864 also calls for plastic straws to be available to customers on request, a provision that Smith said was pushed for by disability advocates.

“I’m hoping we can get on it, the Senate version done, so that we have a flag in the sand – and now everyone gets in the room, work it out,” Smith added.

NJ Advance Media reported in late January that Assembly leadership and Gov. Phil Murphy want to effectively split the bans on plastic and paper bags.

Nationwide, states and cities have been pushing a ban on Styrofoam, and paper and plastic bags, pointing to the considerable harm they do to the environment and the pollution they cause.

In New Jersey, environmentalists argue that passing this legislation could make the state a national trailblazer with environmental policies. But opponents worry about added costs the legislation would spell out for businesses, and those that that would be passed on to consumers if there is no viable alternative.

Lacking any statewide law, dozens of towns and and counties across the state have passed their own ordinances enacting a variety of restrictions. The mishmash of municipal ordinances could ultimately mean dozens of differing regulations for businesses and consumers.

But, Smith maintained that this was in part a strategy to keep the pressure on lawmakers—and that S864 calls for state law to supersede any of those ordinances.