I, the Right Honourable Kay "DynamoJax" Jackson, the MP for the Uplands of Enchiridion, do hereby introduce to the Ostentian House of Commons thereof:

AN ACT to criminalize illegal dumping practices in Ostentia (2009).

§1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be referred to as the Illegal Dumping Act of 2009.

§2. PROVISIONS.

Upon passage of the act, the following provisions are hereby law:

1. The act of illegal dumping of items is hereby criminalized on the federal level, especially in cross-state and heinous incidences. reaffirmed as illegal.
2. Illegal dumping is defined as (including, but not limited to)
2a. Fly-dumping (illicit dumping of large items in places not designated for dumping)
2b. Skip-Jacking (stealing space off of another citizen's skip without legal consent)
[/s]3. Simple acts of littering are not to be criminalized at the federal level, but instead remain under state penalties.[/s]
3. State authorities are authorized to treat illegal dumping as a federal offense, especially if dumping is chronic, widespread or the items dumped are deemed hazardous to the environment.
4. Simple acts of littering, especially littered items deemed to be biodegradable, are not to fall as illegal dumping.
§3. PENALTIES

As a result of §2; clause 3, Acts of illegal dumping are considered federal misdemeanors unless the items dumped are determined to have caused a hazardous effect on the environment, the offender has been charged and convicted in excess of two times and/or the area of dumping involves two or more states.

If a person charged with illegal dumping has willingly caused damage to the environmentcommitted any of the offenses listed above in §3, the charges may be upgraded to the lowest felony permissible.

§4. COST

There is no anticipated budgetary cost on the act.

§5. EXPIRY

The Act, upon passage, will remain in effect until repealed by an act to rescind this legislation.

I would've thought that 'littering is littering' and would've been controlled on a local/state Government level. How will the Federal Government police this? Based on information from state Police?

To answer your question, yes, but I do realize the bill does need a lot of work.

To be honest, I received a letter from a constituent who was upset at the excessive amounts of fly-dumping going around.

As I re-read this bill, I think I'll re-word/re-write it to be directed to state governments, but would require them to observe federal penalties.

There's little that can be done on a federal level I would've thought. But as you are the local member in your constituency, then you can chat to the local Government about this issue. Perhaps it is something that has been overlooked? There would be general littering laws in your constituency but perhaps kind words to the mayor of the city that is being complained about would be mroe effective.

I have offered an updated version of the bill. I'm not only concerned about my constituency (which I will talk with personally), but I want to make sure this doesn't happen elsewhere.

Good luck - when I tried to pass a bill very similar to this one, it was dismissed as a "waste of police/state prosecutor time"...