Tennessee preempts local plastic straw bans through the auxiliary container definition in T.C.A. 7-86-103, leaving straw distribution unregulated at the municipal level.
T.C.A. 7-86-103 covers single-use straws under its broad auxiliary container definition. Tennessee cities and counties may not ban, restrict, or impose fees on plastic straws or upon-request straw service rules. Restaurants are free to provide straws automatically or by request as a business decision. The statute reflects state policy favoring uniform packaging rules and preventing patchwork local regulation. Federal Americans with Disabilities Act considerations also influence straw availability for customers who require flexible plastic straws for accessibility reasons.
Local straw bans are void; restaurants targeted by such ordinances can seek injunctive relief and challenge enforcement actions.
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See how Chattanooga's plastic straw rules rules stack up against other locations.
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