AB 7 (Evans) - Bottle Bill Budget Fix

Governor Schwarzenegger Signs AB 7!

Summary. AB 7 will immediately restore roughly $15 million per month in core recyling funding under California's successful Bottle Bill. Funding was cut last July forcing the closure of hundreds of centers and the loss of several hundred 'green jobs'.  AB 7 will immediately restore funding and prevent millions in further cuts to recyclers, local governments, conservation corps and other core components of California's successful Bottle Bill.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.  Signed on March 8, AB 7 is an urgency measure and will take effect immediately. AB 7 was in the eighth extraordinary session of the legislature (AB"X8" 7).  Previously, AB 7 passed off the Assembly Floor Feb 25 with a 63-0 vote, passed out of Assembly Budget Committee on Feb 24 with a 24-0 vote, failed an Assembly floor vote February 22 48-1, passed off the Senate Floor February 18 with a 30-6 vote and was introduced February 12.

AB 2137 (Chesbro) Compost Labeling

Summary. Changes labeling requirements for fertilizing materials to clarify that a lab analysis of compost does not constitute a nutrient claim. 

Position and Status. CAW Supports. AB 2137 was introduced February 18.

AB 2398 (John Perez) - Carpet Product Stewardship

Summary: Requires producers of carpet to participate in a product stewardship program, under a plan approved by CalRecycle. 

Position and Status. CAW Supports. 

AB 2139 (Chesbro) Product Stewardship Framework

Summary: Requires producers of covered products to participate in a product stewardship program, under a plan approved by CalRecycle.  Covered products include: single use food packaging, medical sharps, pesticide containers (residential use), propane tank & butane lighters (personal use).

Position and Status. CAW Supports.  

AB 2176 (Blumenfield) California Lighting Toxics Reduction and Recycling Bill

Summary. Product stewardship for mercury containing lamps and fee on lamps that don’t contain mercury, and are deemed less efficient.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.  

SB 1100 (Corbett) Household Battery Recycling Bill

Summary. Product stewardship for household batteries

Position and Status. CAW Supports.  

AB 1998 (Brownley) - Carryout Bags
Summary. Bans environmentally-damaging plastic bags.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. AB 1998 was introduced Feb 18.

Take ACTION! Send a support letter for AB 1998

AB 2138 (Chesbro) Plastic Ocean Pollution Reduction, Recycling and Composting Act

Summary. Requires food providers to use only recyclable or compostable takeoutfood packaging and bags.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.  AB 2138 will be heard in Assembly Natural Resources Committee Mar 22.  AB 2138 was introduced February 18.

Take ACTION! Send a support letter for AB 2138

SB 920 (Yee) - White Pages Opt In

Summary. Prohibit landline phone providers from distributing “white pages” telephone listing directories to California residents. White Pages will still be provided for free, upon request of the resident. 

Position and Status. CAW Supports. SB 920 will be heard in Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee on April 6, 2010. Take ACTION! Send a support letter for SB 920

SB 402 (Wolk) Strengthening California's Bottle Bill
Update: SB 402 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger on Oct 11. Read veto message and CAW response.

Summary. Balances the Bottle Bill Fund by ending program exemptions and decreasing the 10 cent CRV threshold to 20 ounces from 24 ounces, ending the exemption given to non-bottle-and-can beverage containers, and other measures.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.  SB 402 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger on Oct 11.  Read veto message and CAW response. Previously, SB 402 received a 58-16 vote in the Assembly and a 22-14 vote in the Senate and a 8-0 vote in Assembly Natural Resources on Sep 11.

SB 546 (Lowenthal) - Used Motor Oil Recycling Act

UPDATE: SB 546 was signed by the Governor on October 11.

Summary. SB 546 increase the recycling incentive and also set a rerefining incentive for used motor oil. This bill will also streamline the process for recycling grants, and generally, bring program revenues and expenditures back into balance.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. SB 546 was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger on Oct 11.

AB 473 (Blumenfield) - Multifamily Recycling
Update: AB 473 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger on Oct 11. Veto Message.

Summary. Provides a residential recycling opportunity for more than 7.1 million Californians residing in more than 2.4 million multifamily dwelling units.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. AB 473 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger on Oct. 11.  AB 473 previously has passed both houses of the legislature, as well as the Assembly and Senate Policy and Fiscal Committees.

AB 222 (Adams) Bio-Refineries / Conversion Technologies
Summary. AB 222 (Adams) would allow controversial and environmentally-unproven waste-to-energy technologies to count as “recycling” under the state’s landmark recycling law (even though they destroy resources) and to count as “renewable” under the state’s renewable energy law (even though they generate electricity from fossil sources and recyclable materials). With proposed amendments, the bill would also eliminate existing environmental protections in statute that prohibit a solid waste conversion facility from emitting air and water pollution.

Position and Status. CAW opposes. AB 222 has been stopped for the year because it was not able to pass the Senate Environmental Quality Committee before a key legislative deadline. It previously passed the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, as well as the Assembly Policy and Fiscal Committees.

AB 1173 (Huffman) - Fluorescent Lamp Toxics Reduction and Recycling Act
Update: AB 1173 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger on Oct 11. Read veto message.

Summary. Creates a free and convenient program for consumers to properly dispose of residential fluorescent lights (RFL).

Position and Status. CAW sponsors. AB 1173 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger on Oct 11. Read veto message. passed through the Assembly and Senate. Now, to the Governor's Desk.

SB 723 (DeSaulnier) - E-waste Payment Adjustment
Summary. SB 723 would authorize the CIWMB to adjust E-waste Collector and Recycler payments annually, rather than every two years.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.  SB 723 is a 2-year bill and will not be eligible for a hearing until next year.

AB 903 (Chesbro) - Compostable Bags

Summary. AB 903 requires that compostable bags carry a unique label that will readily distinguish them from non-compostable bags.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.  AB 903 will be heard in Sen APPR Aug 27.

SB 803 (DeSaulnier) - Plastic Packaging
Summary. Directs CIWMB to reduce the volume of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) packaging 50% beginning 2011.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.

AB 1329 (Brownley & Chesbro) - Delay of CIWMB Abolition
Summary. AB 1329 (Brownley and Chesbro) would delay the abolition of the California Integrated Waste Management Board for 1 year to allow more time to plan the details of this transition.

Position and Status. CAW Supports.

SB 531 (DeSaulnier) - Carryout Bags

Summary. SB 531 adds details to pre-existing plastic bag manufacturer obligations regarding recycling education.

Position and Status. SB 531 will next be heard in Asm NR. Previously, the bill passed out of Sen APPR May 18 with a 8-3 vote and out of Sen EQ April 27 with a 5-2 vote.

AB 1141 (Calderon) - Carryout Bags
Summary. AB 1141 would have required manufacturers of plastic bags to pay a $0.001 per-bag fee, but would have denied the proceeds of this fee to cities that have banned any single-use bag and also would have required cities that have banned single-use bags to provide alternative single-use bags at no cost.

Position and Status. CAW opposed.  AB 1141 was held in Asm NR April 20.

SB 55 (Corbett) - Container Recycling
Summary. Addresses Bottle Bill funding.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. Portions of SB 55 were amended into SB 402.  The bill passed out of Asm NR Jul 6 with a 9-0 vote, off the Senate Floor May 28 with a 29-4 vote and out of Sen EQ April 20 with a 5-2 vote.

SB 25 (Padilla) - Solid Waste Diversion
Summary. Requires the California Integrated Waste Management Board to adopt policies, programs, and incentives to increase statewide waste diversion to 75%.

Position and Status. CAW supports. SB 25 is a 2-year bill and will not be eligible for a hearing until next year. It passed the Senate floor, but was not heard in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee before the legislative deadline. Previously, the bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

AB 1358 (Hill) Polystyrene Food Packaging Ban
Summary. Bans the use of expanded polystyrene food packaging.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. AB 1358 is a two-year bill and will be inactive until next year.  Previously, the bill passed out of Asm APPR May 28 with a 9-5 vote and out of Asm NR April 27 with a 6-3 vote.

AB 68 (Brownley) - Offsetting the Costs of Single-Use Bag Litter
Summary. Requires that consumers pay a $0.25 fee for single-use bags distributed at large grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. AB 68 was converted into a two-year bill in Asm APPR, delaying action on the bill to 2010. Previously, the bill passed out of Asm NR April 13 with a 6-3 vote.

AB 87 (Davis) - Offsetting the Costs of Single-Use Bag Litter
Summary. Requires that consumers pay a $0.25 fee for single-use bags distributed at large grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. AB 87 was converted into a two-year bill in Asm APPR, delaying action on the bill to 2010. Previously, the bill passed out of Asm NR April 13 with a 6-3 vote.

AB 925 (Saldaña) - Bottle Caps
Summary. Requires bottle caps be attached to the container and be recyclable.

Position and Status. Support. AB 925 will be heard on the Senate Floor.  Previously, the bill passed out of Sen EQ July 6 with a 4-2 vote, off the Assembly Floor May 4 with a 42-34 vote, and passed out of Asm NR April 20 with a 6-3 vote.

AB 1343 (Huffman) - Paint Recovery Act

Summary. This measure will require paint manufacturers to develop and implement a program to collect, transport, and process postconsumer paint to reduce the costs and environmental impacts of the disposal of postconsumer paint in this state.

Position and Status. CAW supports. AB 1343 passed through the Assembly side and Senate EQ but was held in Sen Approps. This is now a 2-year bill.

AB 283 (Chesbro) - Extended Producer Responsibility
Summary. Would implement an Extended Producer Responsibility program in California that would require manufacturers increase the recyclability, and recycling, of their products, as well as reduce toxicity.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. AB 283 was held under submission in ASM Appropriations.

SB 44 (Denham) Abolish the California Integrated Waste Management Board
Summary. SB 44 would abolish the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

Position and Status. CAW opposes.

SB 22 (Simitian) - Recommend Procedures for Review and ID of Toxics in Chemicals

Summary. Would authorize the Department of Toxic Substances Control to recommend procedures for expediting the review and identification of hazard traits, including pending and proposed actions by other states, the federal government, and other nations to limit hazardous materials in products.

Position and Status.

AB 147 (Saldaña) - Consumer Electronics Toxics Reporting Requirement

Summary. Authorizes DTSC to request documentation from electronics manufacturers about the amount of hazardous materials contained in the consumer electronics they offer for sale in the State.

Position and Status. CAW Sponsored. AB 147 has passed both houses of the legislature but was vetoed by the Governor. Read the VETO message.

AB 737 (Chesbro) - Solid Waste Diversion
Summary. AB 737 would set a statewide diversion goal of 75% and require commercial recycling.

Position and Status. CAW Supports. This bill passed the Senate Environmental Quality Committee and will next be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee. In the Assembly, this bill passed the Natural Resources Committee, the Appropriations Committee and the Assembly Floor.