2007-08 Legislation

AB 48 (Saldaña) Toxic Electronics Phase Out - Support
Summary: Phases out the use of specified hazardous materials in consumer electronics, consistent with European Union ROHs Directive. Status: AB 48 was vetoed by the Governor on October 13.

AB 218 (Saldaña) Toxic Electronics Phase Out - Support
Summary. Phases out the use of specified hazardous materials in consumer electronics, consistent with the European Union's ROHs Directive. Status: AB 218 was held in Sen. Approps.

AB 258 (Krekorian) Plastic Pellet Litter Prevention - Support
Summary: Sets up a task force to monitor and regulate the release of pre-production plastic pellets released into the marine environment. Status: AB 258 was signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger on Oct. 14, 2007.

AB 484 (Nava) Recycled Aggregate Base - Support
Summary: AB 484 prohibits the contractors of the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) from disposing concrete in landfills without submitting a report to state that explains why this material was disposed. Status: AB 484 was vetoed by the Governor in October 2007 (read veto message).

AB 546 (Brownley) E-Waste Information - Support
Summary: AB 546 requires retailers and manufacturers to provide information about where to properly dispose of covered electronic devices (CEDs) to customers at point of purchase. Information must include a link to the CIWMB website. Status: AB 546 was vetoed by the Governor on Oct 14, 2007.

AB 548 (Levine) Bringing the Opportunity to Recycle to Every Californian - Support
Summary: Provides a residential recycling opportunity for more than 7.1 million Californians residing in more than 2.4 million multifamily dwelling units. Status: AB 548 was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger on Oct. 14.

AB 656 (Plescia) Alkaline Batteries - Opposed unless amended
Summary: AB 656 requires a report to the Legislature regarding any environmental impacts caused by disposal of used alkaline batteries. Status: AB 656 was never heard in policy committee.

AB 712 (de León) $0.50 Tipping Fee Increase - Support
Summary: AB 712 would have added a temporary surcharge of $0.50 per ton to landfill tipping fees to provide a much needed mechanism to prevent and control air pollution emissions from off-road vehicles used in the solid waste and recycling industries. Status: AB 712 was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AB 722 (Levine) Incandescent Light Bulb Ban - Support
Summary: This measure would set energy efficiency standards by specified dates for general service incandescent lamps. Status: AB 722 was moved to the inactive file on June 7. The bill previously passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee on a 11-5 vote.

AB 729 (Mullin) E-waste Recycling - Support
Summary: Requires the CIWMB to adopt regulations for the proper and legal donation of covered electronic devices intended for reuse by a nonprofit organization. Status: AB 729 was never heard in policy committee.

AB 820 (Karnette) Polystyrene in State Facilities - Support
Summary: Would have prohibited the use of foamed polystyrene food containers in state facilities. Status: AB 820 was held in the Asm. Appropriations Committee in April 2007.

AB 822 (Levine) Bringing the Opportunity to Recycle to Every Californian - Support
Summary: Provides a residential recycling opportunity for more than 7.1 million Californians residing in more than 2.4 million multifamily dwelling units. Status: AB 822 has been placed on the senate inactive file.

AB 904 (Feuer) Plastic and Marine Debris Reduction - Support
Summary: AB 904 aimed to reduce a primary source of permanent litter and marine debris and increase the diversion of single-use takeout food packaging by requiring that takeout food packaging from fast-food restaurants be made only from recyclable or compostable materials. Status: AB 904 was held by the Senate Appropriations committee.

AB 1075 (Cook) Solid Waste Diversion - Support
Summary: This bill would redefine "composting facility" to include both aerobic and anaerobic composting, including anaerobic digestion. Status: The bill passed the Assembly Natural Resources Committee unanimously and has been placed on the Assembly Consent Calendar.

AB 1109 (Huffman) Lighting Efficiency & Toxics Reduction Act - Support
Summary: This bill, the most comprehensive of its kind in the nation, would require reductions in energy usage for lighting, encourage the use of more efficient lighting technologies, reduce hazardous waste in lighting and increase recycling opportunities. Status: AB 1109 was signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger on October 12, 2007.

AB 1150 (Lieu) Redefining Conversion Technology - Opposed unless amended
Summary: AB 1150 bill would redefine "transformation" as the incineration of solid waste, or the processing of solid waste through a non-cumbustion thermal, chemical, or biological process, as it pertains to source reduction and recycling in the California Integrated Waste Management Act. Status: SB 1150 was gutted and amended.

AB 1193 (Ruskin) Mercury-added Thermostats Collection - Support
Summary: Requires manufacturers to create a collection and recycling program for out-of-service mercury-added thermostats. Status: AB 1193 was held in the Appropriations Committee in May 2007.

AB 1195 (Torrico) Motor Oil Recycling - Support
Summary: AB 1195 would restrict incentive payments to oil that is transported to a certified used oil recycling facility. This bill also sets the used oil incentive payments to a tiered system of no less than 4.5 cents per quart. Status: AB 1195 was held in Senate Approps.

AB 1207 (Smyth) Biosolids - Opposed unless amended
Summary: Requires CIWMB to develop biosolid regulations and voids any ordinance that prohibits any activity allowed by regulations. Status: AB 1207 was never heard in policy committee.

AB 1237 (Hancock) Solid Waste Facilities - Support
Summary: AB 1237 amends current law by reversing the effect of "no action" by board on Solid Waste Facility permits and increases time to act from 60 to 90 days and requires CIWMB and Local Enforcement Agencies to conduct unannounced inspections. Status: AB 1237 was never heard in policy committee.

AB 1390 (Huffman) Solid Waste - Support
Summary: This landmark bill was a combination of various waste reduction, recycling, and composting policies designed to divert more materials from landfills to higher and better uses. Status: AB 1390 was never brought up for a vote on the floor of the Senate.

AB 1447 (Calderon) Appliance Recycling
Summary: Allows appliance service techs to remove refrigerants from major appliances; develops new requirements for non-certified appliance recyclers to transport, deliver or sell a discarded major appliance. Status: CAW is watching this bill. AB 1447 was signed into law by the Governor on Oct. 14, 2007.

AB 1473 (Feuer) Recycling Centers
Summary: Authorizes a solid waste local enforcement agency (LEA) to stay the issuance of a cease and desist order if a source-separated facility meets specified requirements.
Status: Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 1473 Oct. 12, 2007.

AB 1535 (Huffman) E-Waste Recycling Act Expansion - Support
Summary: Expands the 2003 SB 20 E-waste Recycling ARF law to include Personal Computers. Status: AB 1535 was put on hold in the Appropriations Committee on May 31, 2007.

AB 1610 (Núñez) Increase Waste Fee - No position
Summary: Would have increased the tipping fee for waste from $1.40 to $2.00. Status: AB 1610 was gutted and amended.

AB 1879 (Feuer) Green Chemistry - Support
Summary: AB 1879 (Feuer) gives the California Environmental Protection Agency greater authority to regulate toxins in consumer products. Status: AB 1879 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger Sep 29.

AB 1972 (Desaulnier) Truthful Environmental Advertising for Plastics - Support
Summary: Ensures accurate environmental advertising of plastics by allowing only the use of terms that can be verified by an American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) standard specification. Status: AB 1972 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger Sep. 27.

AB 2058 / AB 2769 (Levine-Brownley-Davis) Offsetting the Costs of Carryout Bag Litter - Support
Summary: Required a fee be placed on single-use carryout bags distributed at large grocery stores and pharmacies. Status: This bill was denied a Senate floor vote.

AB 2071 (Karnette) Plastic Labelling Enforcement - Support
Summary: Will give enforcement power to local governments to ensure accurate labeling of the compostability of plastic products. Status: AB 2071 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger Sep. 29.

AB 2347 (Ruskin) Mercury Thermostats Collection - Support
Summary: Requires a manufacturers that sold mercury-added thermostats in this state before January 1, 2006, to establish and maintain a collections and recycling program for out-of-service mercury-added thermostats. Status: CAW Supports. AB 2347 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger Sep. 29.

AB 2505 (Brownley) PVC Packaging Phase Out - Support
Summary: The bill will prevent human and environmental exposure to toxins, as well as encourage the recycling of consumer packaging, by phasing out the use of toxic, nonrecyclable PVC packaging. Status: AB 2505 was held by Senate Appropriations committee.

AB 2640 (Huffman) Compostable Organics Management - Support
Summary: This bill is intended to promote the highest and best use of organic materials in California. Status: AB 2640 was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee, but was later incorporated into AB 1390.

SB 529 (Migden) Formerly Plastic Container Recycling and Market Development - No Position
Summary: SB 529 originally proposed to update the state's existing Rigid Plastic Packaging Container (RPPC) recycling law in order to increase the utilization of California generated post consumer recycled plastic by creating an incentive and credit trading system. Status: SB 529 has been amended and no longer deals with recycling.

SB 735 (Wiggins) Recycled Aggregate Base - Support
Summary: SB 735 would require the CA Department of Transportation to track the use of recycled materials in its projects. This bill would also require that this information be reported annually, beginning in 2009. Status: SB 735 was vetoed by the Governor.

SB 826 (Padilla) Solid Waste Facilities
Summary: Mitigates environmental justice impacts in disproportionately affected communities in which solid waste facilities are located. Status: SB 826 has been amended and is no longer related to waste.

SB 842 (Scott) Definition of Gasification
Summary: Deletes zero emission requirement in the definition of gasification. Status: CAW opposes unless amended. SB 842 was never heard in policy committee.

SB 898 (Simitian) Solid Waste Clean-Up - Support
Summary: Would have required the CIWMB to authorize several solutions to marine debris, including expending funds to abate illegal disposal sites, prevent waste going into storm drains, and assigning a plastics resin code to biodegradable plastics. Status: SB 898 was gutted and amended by the Assembly Appropriations Committee to carry a bill no longer pertaining to this issue on Aug 30, 2007.

SB 899 (Simitian) Derelict Fishing Gear - Support
Summary: Aims to reduce the littering of and aid in the recovery of derelict fishing gear. Status: SB 899 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger Sep 30.

SB 966 (Simitian) Reducing Pharmaceuticals in Waste Stream - Support
Summary: SB 966 would begin the process of establishing a state-wide solution for the growing problem of improper disposal of unused and expired pharmaceutical drugs by creating model disposal programs and requiring the California Integrated Waste Management Board to report back to the legislature on their potential state-wide implementation.
Status: SB 966 was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger Oct. 12, 2007.

SB 1020 (Padilla) Solid Waste Diversion - Support
Summary: Requires the California Integrated Waste Management Board to adopt policies, programs, and incentives to increase statewide waste diversion to 60% by 12/21/2012 and 75% by 2020. Status: SB 1020 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Commityee, but was later incorporated into AB 1390.

SB 1313 (Corbett) Perfluorocarbons in Food Packaging - Support
Summary: Would phase out toxic perfluorocarbons from food packaging by 2010. Status: SB 1313 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger Sep. 29.

SB 1625 (Corbett) Updating California's Bottle and Can Recycling Law - Support
Summary: SB 1625 aimed to update California's Bottle and Can Recycling Law by, among other measures, expanding the program to include all plastic bottles. Status: SB 1625 was denied a floor vote in the Assembly.