Plastic bags could soon be history in California.
The Surfrider Foundation announced state legislation in La Jolla Tuesday alongside Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher and other state and local leaders.
AB 298 would ban single-use plastic bags at all supermarkets and convenience stores by 2015. It was introduced in 2011 and has made its way through the legislature with several amendments.
The bill would charge a fee for recycled paper bags and require grocery stores to sell reusable bags.
Fletcher said at the press conference Tuesday that besides environmental concerns, there are fiscal reasons for such a ban, too.
Solana Beach was the first San Diego city to pass a plastic bag ban earlier this month. Shoppers there must now bring their own bags or pay 10 cents for a paper bag.
Other cities in the region may soon follow before the state bill is voted on. One young advocate is pushing for the city of San Diego to pass a ban similar to the one in Solana Beach.
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In May the city of Los Angeles passed plastic bag ban.
The State Assembly has 17 days left in this year's session to vote on the issue.
