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City Council Targets Handbill Litterers with Tougher Fines and Streamlined Ticket Process in Philly Streets Today

Official:Amending Chapter 10-700 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Refuse and Littering," by revising certain provisions on liability, enforcement and penalties, relating to handbills that litter public places, and making technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Kenney

Introduced: October 25, 2012

: Committee on Licenses and Inspections

environment public safety

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2012–2015 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill amends Philadelphia's Refuse and Littering Code to increase fines for handbill distributors who litter public places. It also clarifies the process for issuing and paying tickets.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Increased fines for handbill distributors who litter public places.
Clarified the process for issuing notices of violation, including the requirement that notices be served by first-class mail to the handbill distributor and the person named in the handbill.
Specified the contents of a notice of violation, including the date, time, and nature of the violation, the identity of the violator, and the amount to be remitted in response to the notice.
Made technical changes to Chapter 10-700 of The Philadelphia Code.