CaliforniaSolid waste: compostable materials.
What it does
Existing law requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to adopt and revise regulations setting forth minimum standards for composting, in accordance with law. Existing regulations require all compostable materials handling activities to obtain a permit prior to commencing operations and to comply with specified requirements. Existing regulations specify 4 regulatory tiers for composting operations, with different requirements for each tier.
More detail
The 4 tiers are excluded, enforcement agency notification, registration permit, and full solid waste facility permit.
In the excluded tier, existing regulations specify the "excluded activities" that do not constitute compostable material handing operations or facilities and, therefore, are not subject to permit requirements or other regulatory requirements. One of the excluded activities is the composting of green material, agricultural material, food material, and vegetative food material, alone or in combination, if the total amount of feedstock and compost onsite at any one time does not exceed 100 cubic yards and 750 square feet.
This bill would expand this excluded activity exemption for composting activities by eliminating the maximum square-foot condition and authorizing a total amount of feedstock and compost onsite at any one time of up to 200 cubic yards, or 500 cubic yards for a composting activity owned by a public agency, as defined. The bill would also authorize the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to further increase those amounts by regulation. The bill would also make the composting of agricultural materials and residues that are from a large-scale biomass management event at an agricultural facility that does not otherwise operate as a solid waste facility an excluded activity, as specified.
Existing regulations prohibit a composting operation from giving away or selling more than 1,000 cubic yards of compost product annually if it is in the excluded tier or if it is an agricultural material composting operation in the enforcement agency notification tier, its feedstock is both green material and agricultural material, and the operation is located on land zoned for agricultural uses.
This bill would authorize composting activities to give away or sell up to 5,000 cubic yards of compost product annually. The bill would authorize the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to increase, by regulation, that amount when the composting is of agricultural materials and residues that are from a large-scale biomass management event at an agricultural facility.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 11Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 651, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 11Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 16Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 9Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2712.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB279 McNerney et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 8In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 279 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Soria. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 8Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3000.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Sep 3Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 2Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 29).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 20August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Jul 8From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 7
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 30From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.Major
- Jun 5Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.Minor
- May 29In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading SB279 McNerney et al. Result: pass.Upper
- May 29Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1336.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- May 27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 23Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- May 23From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 1194.) (May 23).Major
- May 16Set for hearing May 23.
- May 12From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Apr 7April 7 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 28Set for hearing April 7.
- Mar 20Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Mar 19From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 421.) (March 19).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 7Set for hearing March 19.
- Feb 14Referred to Com. on E.Q.Minor
- Feb 6From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 8.
- Feb 5Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced