Legislation to change drinking straw laws in Florida got the life sucked out of them and never made it out of the Legislature.

Fleming Island Republican Sen. Jennifer Bradley sponsored the bill (SB 958). The measure would have restricted local governments from banning single-use straws without providing environmentally sound alternatives. That was matched by a similar bill in the House (HB 865).

The Senate measure stalled in the Committee process and never made it to the floor for a vote.

The proposals would have stipulated more criteria before such straw laws could be enacted and required some changes to existing laws in cities and counties.

Bradley’s proposal stated that municipalities with current laws banning some straws would need to “amend any such rule, regulation, or ordinance in effect as of the effective date of this act which does not permit the sale or use of drinking straws and stirrers that are renewable, home compostable certified, industrial compostable certified, or marine biodegradable to permit the sale or use of renewable, home compostable certified, industrial compostable certified and marine biodegradable drinking straws and stirrers.”

Bradley said the intent was to serve as a sort of compromise with local officials.

“The straw bill does not preempt local government straw ordinances. Instead, it requires that those ordinances also include certified compostable and degradable straws,” Bradley said, explaining her bill.

Marine biodegradable straws would have to be proven to degrade in water within a year, according to the proposals.

Renewable straws would have also needed to meet requirements of “USDA BioPreferred Program with biobased content of at least 80 percent; or The TUV Austria OK biobased program with a 4-star rating.”

The measures would have also driven “uniformity of drinking straw and stirrer regulations throughout this state, rather than forcing businesses to comply with a patchwork of local regulations.”

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A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics contributed to this report.

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