SB 1010: Hazardous waste: major appliances: recycling.

Session Year: 2025-2026
House: Senate
Latest Version Date: 2026-06-11

Current Status:

In Progress

(2026-06-11: From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.S & T.M.)

Introduced

In Committee

First Chamber

In Committee

Second Chamber

Enacted

Version:

Under existing law, the Department of Toxic Substances Control is required to implement and enforce certain laws related to the recycling of major appliances, as defined. Existing law prohibits a person, other than a certified appliance recycler, as defined, from removing materials that require special handling from a major appliance. Existing law requires a person, including, but not limited to, a certified appliance recycler, who transports, delivers, or sells discarded major appliances to a scrap recycling facility, as defined, to retain onsite records demonstrating compliance with certain laws related to the recycling of major appliances, as provided. A violation of the hazardous waste control laws is a crime.

This bill would require a person, including, but not limited to, a certified appliance recycler, who transports, delivers, or sells discarded major appliances to a scrap recycling facility to also provide those documents to the department, as specified. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law requires a person wishing to operate as a certified appliance recycler to submit an initial or renewal application to the department, under penalty of perjury. Existing law requires the application to include, among other things, a description of the ability of the applicant to properly remove and manage all materials that require special handling. Existing law requires the department to review an application for completeness and, upon a determination that the application is complete and meets the requirements of certain laws related to the recycling of major appliances, to issue a numbered certificate to the applicant. Existing law requires the applicable certified unified program agency (CUPA), as soon as practicable after receiving the application and certification from the department, to inspect the certified appliance recyclers facility, as provided.

This bill would require the application to also include a description of the applicants facility and registration with the CUPA, as specified. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to review the application, visit the applicants facility, and, upon determination that the application is complete and meets the requirements of certain laws related to the recycling of major appliances and applicable laws regarding hazardous waste, issue a numbered certificate to the applicant. The bill would require the CUPA to inspect the certified appliance recyclers facility as soon as practicable, but no later than 6 months after the issuance of the certificate. By creating a new requirement on a CUPA, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize the department to impose a charge on an applicant for initial certification and on a certified appliance recycler for renewal to cover the departments reasonable and actual regulatory costs for implementing certain laws relating to the recycling of major appliances, including, but not limited to, the adoption of regulations, as specified.

This bill would require a scrap recycling facility to only accept an appliance from a certified appliance recycler or a person otherwise authorized to transport, deliver, or sell discarded major appliances. The bill would require a scrap recycling facility to document each appliance received and to confirm, under penalty of perjury, that materials that require special handling have been removed from the appliance. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law requires the department to develop a statewide list of appliance recyclers, used appliance dealers, solid waste facilities, metal scrapyards, and others who may remove, or do business with those who remove, from major appliances, materials that require special handling, as specified. Existing law requires the department to transmit a copy of the Appliance Recycling Guide, published by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, and certain other materials and information, to waste generators and enforcement officers, as provided.

This bill would repeal those provisions and instead require the department to post on its internet website a list of certified appliance recyclers and the number of appliances processed by certified appliance recyclers and accepted by scrap recycling facilities, as specified.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, generally regulates the disposal, management, and recycling of solid waste. The act establishes stewardship programs for various products, including, among others, carpet, mattresses, and pharmaceutical and sharps waste.This bill would enact a stewardship program known as the Refrigerant Stewardship and Recovery Act, which would require a producer of certain household appliances containing refrigerants, known as covered products, to form and join a producer responsibility organization, or PRO. The bill would require the PRO to be approved by the department pursuant to the requirements of the bill, as provided. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations to implement the program no later than January 1, 2029. The bill would require the PRO to submit to the department, for approval or disapproval, a complete plan for the collection, transportation, consolidation, dismantling, refrigerant recovery, recycling, reclamation, destruction, and the safe and proper management of covered products in the state. Upon approval of a plan, the bill would make a producer subject to specified civil penalties, unless the producer is a participant in a PRO and all covered products are accounted for in the plan. The bill would require the PRO to review the plan at least every 5 years after approval. The bill would also require a PRO to submit an annual report to the department, as provided. The bill would require all reports and records provided to the department to be provided under penalty of perjury. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would restrict public access to certain information collected for the purpose of administering the program.This bill would require the department to post on its internet website a list of producers that are in compliance with the requirements of the program. The bill would require PROs to pay fees to the department, not to exceed the departments actual and reasonable regulatory costs to implement and enforce the act. The bill would establish the Refrigerant Stewardship Recovery Fund in the State Treasury for the deposit of all moneys received from PROs and would make the moneys in the fund available to the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of the program. The bill would also authorize the department to impose administrative civil penalties for a violation of the programs requirements, not to exceed $10,000 per day, or not to exceed $50,000 per day for an intentional or knowing violation, as specified. The bill would create the Refrigerant Stewardship Recovery Penalty Account in the fund for the deposit of penalties, which would be available for expenditure upon appropriation by the Legislature, as specified.Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Discussed in Hearing