AUGUSTA — Maine hotel rooms may no longer be stocked with small bottles of shampoo, conditioner and other toiletries if a proposal before lawmakers to ban the miniature plastic bottles gets enacted.

A bill advancing in the Maine Legislature would prohibit most hotels, short-term rentals and other guest accommodations from using the single-use plastic containers for health and beauty products, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. The ban would apply to containers less than 6 oz. in size. Locations with 12 or fewer units would be exempt.

Lodging establishments would have plenty of time to comply as the ban would not take effect for lodgings with 50 or more units until Jan. 1, 2030, and Jan. 1, 2032, for locations with 13 to 49 units.

The House of Representatives voted 72-70 and the Senate voted 17-15 this week to advance the bill, LD 1928. It faces additional votes in each chamber before it could be sent to Gov. Janet Mills for her consideration.

Spokespeople for Mills’ did not respond Thursday to a question about whether she supports the legislation.

Similar bans have been passed by at least four other states: California, New York, Illinois and Washington.

Rep. Lori Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, the bill’s sponsor, told lawmakers on the Legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources Committee last month that it represents a “critical and timely step forward in Maine’s efforts to reduce plastic waste, protect our environment and encourage sustainable practices across the hospitality industry.”

“This legislation is not just about eliminating small plastic bottles — it’s about embracing a future where businesses contribute positively to the environment and operate with sustainability in mind,” Gramlich said in written testimony.

Lawmakers opposed to the bill said during a floor debate in the House Wednesday that it would be a burden for businesses and would disadvantage the hospitality industry by creating more inconvenience for visitors.

“Tourists expect convenience and accessibility,” said Rep. Mike Soboleski, R-Phillips. “If Maine businesses are forced to eliminate single-use options, visitors may choose accommodations in neighboring states that do not impose such restrictions. This bill risks harming Maine’s tourism industry.”

Soboleski said the smaller bottles are also more sanitary.

“I am not comfortable using a big bottle that’s a share-type bottle, regardless of what the intent of it is,” he said. “I prefer the little, easy, clean, efficient ones, and believe most people do.”

Rep. Vicki Doudera, D-Camden, said the ban would be a financial benefit for businesses, who would save money with the switch to bulk or reusable containers, as well as an environmental benefit.

“You might say, ‘It’s just a few plastic bottles. What difference does that make?'” Doudera said. “A conservative estimate is that this bill could eliminate as many as 73 million single-use plastic bottles per year from Maine’s waste stream. … That is meaningful action.”

Enforcement of the ban would be the responsibility of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, which said in written testimony that it would plan to treat the ban as a “complaint-based program” similar to how it enforces the state’s ban on single-use plastic bags by retailers.

The department said it was neither for nor against the bill, but that it supported the goal of reducing plastic waste.