A state bill now sitting on the governor’s desk could blow a big hole in Phoenix’s new crackdown on abandoned shopping carts by blocking cities from charging retailers to get their carts back. HB 2460 would stop municipalities and counties from collecting fines or retrieval fees from businesses for “movable property” such as shopping carts, and it has lawmakers and city officials squaring off over who should pay for cleanup and whether neighborhoods will get messier as a result.
What HB 2460 Would Ban
As outlined by azleg.gov, HB 2460 forbids municipalities and counties from adopting or enforcing ordinances that penalize businesses for the theft or abandonment of their movable property. The bill explicitly names shopping carts and hand held baskets and gives either the attorney general or any business the right to sue to block local rules that cross that line. If the business wins, it can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs. The legislative language also assigns the measure a tongue in cheek short title: the Completely Asinine Rule Termination (CART) Act.
Phoenix’s Crackdown And How It Works
According to the City of Phoenix, the city’s shopping cart ordinance requires retailers to file an annual certification, keep a cart management plan or install locking wheel systems, and allows the city to recover retrieval costs from stores. Phoenix lists retrieval fees of $25 per cart when a store already has its own retrieval contract and $50 per cart when it does not. After notice, unclaimed carts can be impounded and eventually disposed of. Phoenix retailers face Jan. 15 deadline covered how the rules rolled out and what the compliance schedule looks like for businesses.
City Officials Defend The Program
Councilmember Anne O’Brien told AZFamily the ordinance "was making a dent," noting that the city had collected more than 7,000 carts. "We’re not trying to collect fees to make money in the city of Phoenix. That fee was to recover our collection costs," O’Brien said in the story. City leaders argue the program is aimed at blight and safety concerns, not at building a new revenue stream.
Where The Bill Stands
According to LegiScan, the Senate approved HB 2460 on third reading in April on a 17 9 vote, and the House followed with a 32 23 final reading on June 9. The measure was transmitted to the governor on June 10. If the governor signs it, HB 2460 would become law and override local cart fee ordinances across Arizona. At this point, a veto is the main way the proposal could be stopped.
Legal Implications
The bill creates statewide preemption and lays out a clear route for legal challenges. The attorney general or private businesses could ask a court to enjoin municipal rules that the law prohibits, and successful plaintiffs would be able to recover attorney fees under the statute’s fee shifting provision. As detailed on azleg.gov, that enforcement mechanism is central to how both critics and supporters expect disputes to play out. Sponsor Rep. Nick Kupper told lawmakers the bill "does not stop cities from impounding or destroying carts if needed" and argued that "victims of a crime shouldn't be punished when their property is stolen," according to AZFamily.
What Residents May See
If HB 2460 becomes law, cities would lose a tool that helps them recoup cleanup costs and nudge retailers to keep carts off sidewalks, canals, and vacant lots. That could mean more of the bill lands on taxpayers or that cart retrieval efforts are scaled back. Policy analysis at PoliScore notes that Phoenix collects roughly 7,000 to 8,000 carts a year and spends tens of thousands of dollars retrieving them, a modest but visible cost that factors into the political fight. Supporters say HB 2460 protects businesses from being punished for theft. Critics counter that it shifts cleanup burdens back onto neighborhoods and city budgets.
How To Report An Abandoned Cart
Residents who spot an abandoned cart can report it to the City of Phoenix at 602 534 4444, by emailing [email protected], or by submitting a report through the myPHX311 system, according to the city’s program page. Retailers with questions about certification or retrieval requirements can also use the city’s Shopping Cart Certification Portal for information and submissions.
