Bill Text: CA AB1526 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 1526 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Public resources.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Passed) 2023-10-13 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 848, Statutes of 2023. [AB1526 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB1526-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 1526

CHAPTER 848

An act to amend Sections 3114, 3206.2, 4584, 42040, 42041, 42051.1, 42053, 42061, 42064, 42064.01, 42067, 42081, 42464.3, 48701, 48703, and 48705 of, and to add Section 48707 to, the Public Resources Code, relating to public resources.

[ Approved by Governor October 13, 2023. Filed with Secretary of State October 13, 2023. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1526, Committee on Natural Resources. Public resources.

(1) Existing law requires the Department of Conservation, in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board, to provide to the fiscal and relevant policy committees of the Legislature an annual report regarding certain aspects of the implementation of the Underground Injection Control Program until October 1, 2024.

This bill would make these provisions inoperative on October 1, 2029, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2030.

(2) Existing law requires the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, to initiate a study to be conducted by independent experts of fugitive emissions from idle, idle-deserted, and abandoned wells in the state, as provided. Existing law requires oil and gas operators with wells selected for purposes of sampling under these provisions to (1) make reasonable efforts to permit access to the wells to the division and the independent experts contracted to undertake the study if adequate notice is provided to the operator to ensure appropriate safety precautions are taken at the well site, and (2) submit to the division a certification stating that no action was taken to reduce emissions from the sampling site within 72 hours of the sampling taking place so as to reduce the value of measurements taken. A violation of these requirements is a crime. Existing law requires the department, on or before January 1, 2022, to post all results of testing conducted pursuant to the study on the department’s internet website in a machine-readable format. Existing law requires the independent experts contracted to undertake the study, on or before July 1, 2022, to complete a peer-reviewed written document that includes specified elements. Existing law requires the division, on or before January 1, 2023, to make the results of the study, as per the required written document, available on its internet website. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2024.

This bill would extend the operation of these provisions until January 1, 2029. The bill would change the deadline for the department to post all results of the testing on its internet website from January 1, 2022, to January 1, 2026. The bill would change the deadline for independent experts contracted to undertake the study to complete the written document from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2026. The bill would change the deadline for the division to make the results of the study available on its internet website from January 1, 2023, to January 1, 2028.

By extending provisions that the violation of which is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(3) The Z’berg-Nejedly Forest Practice Act of 1973 prohibits a person from conducting timber operations, as defined, unless a timber harvesting plan prepared by a registered professional forester has been submitted to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The act authorizes the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to exempt from some or all of those provisions of the act a person engaging in specified forest management activities, as prescribed, including the one-time conversion of less than 3 acres to a nontimber use, as specified.

This bill would authorize the board to adopt regulations for a waiver of the one-time limitation, as specified, including a process for an appeal of a denial of a waiver.

(4) The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act covers certain single-use packaging and plastic single-use food service ware, as provided. As part of its comprehensive statutory scheme, the act requires producers of those covered materials to reduce and recycle the covered plastic material and to ensure that covered materials that are offered for sale, distributed, or imported in or into the state on or after January 1, 2032, are recyclable or compostable, as provided. The act prohibits a producer from selling, offering for sale, importing, or distributing covered materials in the state unless the producer is approved to participate in the producer responsibility plan of a producer responsibility organization (PRO), as prescribed, for the source reduction, collection, processing, and recycling of covered material, except as provided. The act requires the producer responsibility plan to include certain information, including, but not limited to, arrangements with processors or recyclers to ensure that covered materials that are not collected through a curbside collection program are collected and recycled at a viable responsible end market.

This bill would instead require a producer responsibility plan to include arrangements with processors or recyclers to ensure that covered materials that are not collected through a curbside collection program or other local collection program are collected and recycled at a viable responsible end market. The bill would require the producer responsibility plan to include a mechanism and schedule for transferring specified fee proceeds to local jurisdictions. The bill would make technical amendments and other revisions to certain components of the act.

The act defines “covered material” to include, among others, wraps or wrappers and bags sold to food service establishments.

This bill would instead include as “covered material” wraps or wrappers and bags used in the packaging of food offered for sale or provided to customers by food service establishments.

The act requires a PRO, commencing in the 2027 calendar year, and until January 1, 2037, to remit a $500,000,000 surcharge each year, as provided, to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) to be deposited into the California Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund. The act requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to transmit to the CDTFA by March 1 of each year specified information regarding who is liable for the surcharge and in what amounts. The act requires the surcharge be paid 30 days from the date of CDTFA’s assessment. The act requires a producer that is not in a PRO to pay the surcharge on July 1 of each year.

This bill would recast the surcharge as the “environmental mitigation surcharge.” The bill would delete the July 1 date for the requirement for a producer not in a PRO to pay the environmental mitigation surcharge. The bill would instead require the CDTFA to mail to each person liable for the environmental mitigation surcharge a notice of determination within 90 days of receiving from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery the information regarding who is liable for the environmental mitigation surcharge and the amounts to be assessed.

(5) The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 establishes the architectural paint recovery program, under which a manufacturer of architectural paint is required, individually or through a stewardship organization, to submit an architectural paint stewardship plan to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to develop and implement a recovery program to reduce the generation of postconsumer architectural paint, promote the reuse of postconsumer architectural paint, and manage the end of life of postconsumer architectural paint. Existing law excludes from the program aerosol spray paint. Existing law requires a manufacturer of architectural paint or a stewardship organization to submit to the department on or before November 1 of each year a report describing its architectural paint recovery efforts.

This bill would, among other things, eliminate the exemption from the program of aerosol spray paint and would provide that architectural paint includes aerosol coating products, as defined. The bill would specify that aerosol coating products shall not be regulated under the program until the implementation date of a plan or plan amendment concerning aerosol coating products approved by the department or January 1, 2027, whichever occurs sooner, and would authorize the department to extend that implementation date. The bill would require, on or before July 1, 2026, a manufacturer or stewardship organization to submit an architectural paint stewardship plan or amendment to an approved architectural paint stewardship plan to the department. The bill would change the due date for the annual report to on or before May 15 of each year, would require certain information included in the annual report to be reported based on calendar year, and, commencing with the 2028 report, would require the annual report to include certain information on aerosol coating products. The bill would authorize the department, in coordination with the Department of Toxic Substances Control, to adopt regulations to clarify and implement the architectural paint recovery program.

(6) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 42041 of the Public Resources Code proposed by SB 303 to be operative only if this bill and SB 303 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

(7) 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.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 3114 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

3114.

(a) By July 30, 2019, and annually thereafter, the Department of Conservation, in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board, shall report to the fiscal and relevant policy committees of the Legislature on the Underground Injection Control Program. The report shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following about activities in the previous 12 months:

(1) The number and location of underground injection control project approvals issued by the department, including projects that were approved but subsequently lapsed without having commenced injection.

(2) The monthly average number of pending project applications.

(3) The average length of time to obtain an underground injection control project approval from date of receipt of complete application to the date of issuance.

(4) The average amount of time to review an underground injection control project proposal by the division and the average combined review time by the State Water Resources Control Board and regional water quality control boards for each proposed underground injection control project.

(5) The number of project proposals pending for over one year.

(6) A list of pending aquifer exemptions, if any, and their status in the review process.

(7) The average length of time to process an aquifer exemption and the average amount of time to review a proposed aquifer exemption by the division and the average combined review time by the State Water Resources Control Board and regional water quality control boards for each aquifer exemption proposal.

(8) The number and description of underground injection control related violations identified.

(9) The number of enforcement actions taken by the department.

(10) The number of shut-in orders or requests to relinquish permits and the status of those orders or requests.

(11) The number, classification, and location of staff with work related to underground injection control.

(12) The number of staff vacancies for positions associated with underground injection control.

(13) Any state or federal legislation, administrative, or rulemaking changes to the program.

(14) The number of underground injection control projects reviewed for compliance with statutes and regulations in each district and a summary of findings from project reviews completed during the reporting period, including any steps taken to address identified deficiencies.

(15) The number of underground injection control projects that have not been reviewed for compliance with applicable statutes and regulations within the prior two years.

(16) Summary of significant milestones in their compliance schedule agreed to with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, as indicated in the March 9, 2015, letter to the division and the state board from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, including, but not limited to, regulatory updates, evaluations of injection wells, and aquifer exemption applications.

(17) Summary of activities undertaken by the underground injection control review panel established pursuant to Section 46 of Chapter 24 of the Statutes of 2015.

(b) This section shall become inoperative on October 1, 2029, and, as of January 1, 2030, is repealed.

SEC. 2.

Section 3206.2 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

3206.2.

(a) (1) The division, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, shall initiate a study to be conducted by independent experts of fugitive emissions from idle, idle-deserted, and abandoned wells in the state. The independent experts selected shall have experience measuring and documenting emissions from multiple idle and abandoned wells and well sites, preferably at multiple locations within the state.

(2) In developing the parameters of the study, the division shall seek input from researchers with expertise in fugitive emissions, oil and gas operators, and people with relevant experience in nongovernmental organizations. The parameters of the study shall (A) be conducted based on a total well sample not to exceed 500 wells, (B) utilize existing information and technology tools that allow data collection without disruption to a well site, (C) limit surface disturbance associated with any emissions sampling, and (D) limit the total cost of the study to a maximum of one million dollars ($1,000,000).

(3) In implementing the study, the division shall seek to minimize costs to operators, and the testing conducted pursuant to this section shall not conflict with a scheduled routine maintenance operation of the well or associated equipment.

(4) The study shall be conducted to measure emissions of air pollutants, including, but not limited to, greenhouse gases, toxic air contaminants, and volatile organic compounds, from idle wells, idle-deserted wells, and abandoned wells that can contribute to climate change or endanger occupational and public health and safety through their toxicological properties.

(5) The division shall work with the independent experts, oil and gas operators, and nongovernmental organizations to identify a stratified random sample of wells, and set of pollutants to be measured, from which measurement data can be used to extrapolate to the total number of idle, idle-deserted, and abandoned wells in the state. To the maximum extent possible, the sample shall include emissions data already collected from wells in the state.

(6) The sample of wells shall include idle-deserted wells identified by the division, previously abandoned wells, and idle wells that are ordered or permitted to be plugged and abandoned by the division.

(7) For purposes of undertaking the study, for a well that is selected for measurement as part of the sample but which is also scheduled to be plugged, abandoned, or reabandoned, before the initiation of physical work to plug, abandon, or reabandon the well the division or the contracted independent experts, with oversight from the division, shall have testing performed for leaks on the well and associated equipment either (A) in accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency Reference Method 21, as set forth in Appendix A-7 to Part 60 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as it read on January 1, 2019, (B) by using an optical gas imaging instrument that is operated by a technician with a certification or training in infrared theory, infrared inspections, and heat transfer principles, or (C) in accordance with an alternative methodology developed for the purposes of this study.

(8) If, pursuant to paragraph (7), a well is found to emit hydrocarbons in observable quantities using an optical imaging device or in concentrations greater than 1 percent by volume using a United States Environmental Protection Agency Reference Method 21 instrument when tested before the initiation of physical work, the division or the contracted independent experts shall ensure additional testing is performed using a direct measurement method consisting of high volume sampling, bagging, or a calibrated flow measuring instrument to determine the flow rate of atmospheric emissions of total and speciated hydrocarbon pollutants before the initiation of physical work.

(b) Oil and gas operators with wells selected for purposes of sampling under this section shall make reasonable efforts to permit access to the wells to the division and the independent experts contracted to undertake the study if adequate notice is provided to the operator to ensure appropriate safety precautions are taken at the well site. All oil and gas operators with wells selected for sampling shall submit to the division a certification stating that no action was taken to reduce emissions from the sampling site within 72 hours of the sampling taking place so as to reduce the value of measurements taken.

(c) On or before January 1, 2026, the department shall post all results of testing conducted pursuant to subdivision (a) on the department’s internet website in a machine-readable format. On or before January 1, 2021, the department shall produce and post to the department’s internet website an interim progress report describing the status of the study conducted pursuant to this section, including, but not limited to, the number of wells where testing has been completed, the number of wells remaining to be tested, study costs, and any preliminary testing results, as available and subject to the requirement described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d).

(d) (1) On or before July 1, 2026, the independent experts contracted to undertake the study shall complete a written document that includes an executive summary of the findings, a description of the results, the findings, and an estimate of hydrocarbon emissions from the state’s idle, idle-deserted, and abandoned wells.

(2) Before public release pursuant to subdivision (e), the written document shall be provided for peer review and comments, to the operators whose wells were included in the sample, and to a group of independent experts and nongovernmental organizations selected by the division.

(e) On or before January 1, 2028, the division shall make the results of the study, as per the written document required pursuant to subdivision (d), available on its internet website.

(f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 3.

Section 4584 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

4584.

Upon determining that this exemption is consistent with the purposes of this chapter, the board may exempt from this chapter, or portions of this chapter, a person engaged in forest management whose activities are limited to any of the following:

(a) The cutting or removal of trees for the purpose of constructing or maintaining a right-of-way for utility lines.

(b) The planting, growing, nurturing, shaping, shearing, removal, or harvest of immature trees for Christmas trees or other ornamental purposes or minor forest products, including fuelwood.

(d) Site preparation.

(e) Maintenance of drainage facilities and soil stabilization treatments.

(f) Timber operations on land managed by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

(g) (1) The one-time conversion of less than three acres to a nontimber use. A person, whether acting as an individual, as a member of a partnership, or as an officer or employee of a corporation or other legal entity, shall not obtain more than one exemption pursuant to this subdivision in a five-year period. If a partnership has as a member, or if a corporation or other legal entity has as an officer or employee, a person who has received this exemption within the past five years, whether as an individual, as a member of a partnership, or as an officer or employee of a corporation or other legal entity, then that partnership, corporation, or other legal entity is not eligible for this exemption. “Person,” for purposes of this subdivision, means an individual, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity.

(2) (A) Notwithstanding Section 4554.5, the board shall adopt regulations that do all of the following:

(i) Identify the required documentation of a bona fide intent to complete the conversion that an applicant will need to submit in order to be eligible for the exemption in paragraph (1).

(ii) Authorize the department to inspect the sites approved in conversion applications that have been approved on or after January 1, 2002, in order to determine that the conversion was completed within the two-year period described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1104.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

(iii) Require the exemption pursuant to this subdivision to expire if there is a change in timberland ownership. The person who originally submitted an application for an exemption pursuant to this subdivision shall notify the department of a change in timberland ownership on or before five calendar days after a change in ownership.

(iv) The board may adopt regulations allowing a waiver of the five-year limitation described in paragraph (1) upon finding that the imposition of the five-year limitation would impose an undue hardship on the applicant for the exemption. The board may adopt a process for an appeal of a denial of a waiver.

(v) The board may adopt regulations allowing a waiver of the one-time limitation described in paragraph (1) upon finding that the imposition of the one-time limitation would impose an undue hardship on the applicant. The board may adopt a process for an appeal of a denial of a waiver.

(B) The application form for the exemption pursuant to paragraph (1) shall prominently advise the public that a violation of the conversion exemption, including a conversion applied for in the name of someone other than the person or entity implementing the conversion in bona fide good faith, is a violation of this chapter and penalties may accrue up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each violation pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 4601).

(h) An easement granted by a right-of-way construction agreement administered by the federal government if timber sales and operations within or affecting the area are reviewed and conducted pursuant to the federal National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 4321 et seq.).

(i) (1) The cutting or removal of trees in compliance with Sections 4290 and 4291 that eliminates the vertical continuity of vegetative fuels and the horizontal continuity of tree crowns for the purpose of reducing flammable materials and maintaining a fuel break for a distance of not more than 150 feet on each side from an approved and legally permitted structure that complies with the California Building Standards Code, when that cutting or removal is conducted in compliance with this subdivision. For purposes of this subdivision, an “approved and legally permitted structure” includes only structures that are designed for human occupancy, garages, barns, stables, and structures used to enclose fuel tanks.

(2) (A) The cutting or removal of trees pursuant to this subdivision is limited to cutting or removal that will result in a reduction in the rate of fire spread, fire duration and intensity, fuel ignitability, or ignition of the tree crowns and shall be in accordance with any regulations adopted by the board pursuant to this section.

(B) Trees shall not be cut or removed pursuant to this subdivision by the clearcutting regeneration method, by the seed tree removal step of the seed tree regeneration method, or by the shelterwood removal step of the shelterwood regeneration method.

(3) (A) All fuel treatments conducted pursuant to this subdivision that do not comply with board rules and regulations may be determined to be a nuisance and subject to abatement by the department or the city or county having jurisdiction.

(B) The costs incurred by the department, city, or county, as the case may be, to abate the nuisance upon a parcel of land subject to the timber operations, including, but not limited to, investigation, boundary determination, measurement, and other related costs, may be recovered by special assessment and lien against the parcel of land by the department, city, or county. The assessment may be collected at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary ad valorem taxes, and shall be subject to the same penalties and the same procedure and sale in case of delinquency as is provided for ad valorem taxes.

(4) All timber operations conducted pursuant to this subdivision shall conform to applicable city or county general plans, city or county implementing ordinances, and city or county zoning ordinances. This paragraph does not authorize the cutting, removal, or sale of timber or other solid wood forest products within an area where timber harvesting is prohibited or otherwise restricted pursuant to the rules or regulations adopted by the board.

(5) (A) The board shall adopt regulations, initially as emergency regulations in accordance with subparagraph (B), that the board considers necessary to implement and to obtain compliance with this subdivision.

(B) The emergency regulations adopted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). The adoption of emergency regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, or general welfare.

(j) (1) The cutting or removal of trees on the person’s property that eliminates the vertical continuity of vegetative fuels and the horizontal continuity of tree crowns for the purpose of reducing flammable materials and maintaining a fuel break. An exemption pursuant to this subdivision shall be known as the Small Timberland Owner Exemption. The cutting or removal of trees in compliance with this subdivision shall be subject to all of the following conditions:

(A) The notice of exemption is prepared, signed, and submitted by a registered professional forester to the department.

(B) The residual stocking standards are consistent with the following standards and shall be achieved through uneven-aged management, as defined in Section 895.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations excluding group selection:

(i) On Site I lands at least 150 square feet of basal area shall be retained within the coast forest district, as defined in Section 907 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, while at least 100 square feet of basal area shall be retained within the northern and southern districts, as defined in Section 908 or 909, respectively, of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

(ii) On Site II lands at least 100 square feet of basal area shall be retained within the coast district, while at least 75 square feet of basal area shall be retained within the northern and southern districts.

(iii) On Site III lands at least 75 square feet of basal area shall be retained.

(ii) Increases in quadratic mean diameter shall only consider trees greater than eight inches in diameter at breast height. The registered professional forester responsible for preparation of the notice of exemption shall report the expected postharvest increase in quadratic mean diameter.

(D) (i) The residual stand consists primarily of healthy and vigorous dominant and codominant trees from the preharvest stand, well distributed through the harvested area.

(ii) No trees of the genus quercus that are greater than 26 inches in diameter at stump height, measured 8 inches above ground level, shall be harvested under a notice of exemption submitted pursuant to this subdivision.

(iii) No trees greater than 32 inches in diameter at stump height, measured 8 inches above ground level, shall be harvested under a notice of exemption submitted pursuant to this subdivision.

(iv) The six largest trees per acre within the boundaries of a notice of exemption submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall not be harvested.

(v) The postharvest composition of tree species shall be representative of the preharvest stand condition and demonstrate progression towards climax forest conditions, unless the registered professional forester provides justification explaining how modification of species diversity will benefit forest health and resiliency.

(E) The submitted notice of exemption shall include a description of the preharvest stand structure and a statement of the minimum expected postharvest stocking.

(F) All trees harvested or all trees retained shall be marked by, or under the supervision of, a registered professional forester before felling operations begin.

(G) The board shall adopt regulations for the treatment of understory vegetation and standing dead fuels, canopy closure, clearance to base of live crown, or ladder fuels, that could promote the spread of wildfire. A fuel reduction effort conducted under a submitted notice of exemption pursuant to this subdivision shall comply with the canopy closure regulations adopted by the board on June 10, 2004, and as those regulations may be amended.

(H) A notice of exemption submitted to the department that is within the coast forest district is submitted for a small forestland owner who owns 60 acres or less of timberland within a single planning watershed.

(I) A notice of exemption submitted to the department that is within the northern forest district or the southern forest district is submitted for a small forestland owner who owns 100 acres or less of timberland within a single planning watershed.

(2) (A) All timber operations conducted pursuant to this subdivision may only occur once on any given acre per any 10-year period of time. The department shall only grant a maximum of three exemptions under the Small Timberland Owner Exemption per landowner.

(B) Except for the harvesting of dead, diseased, or dying trees, during this 10-year period the department shall not approve a plan, as defined in Section 895.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, that allows even-aged silviculture prescriptions. During this 10-year period of time a registered professional forester shall not submit a notice of exemption pursuant to subdivision (k) on portions of the property subject to an exemption pursuant to this subdivision.

(3) The department may conduct an onsite inspection to determine compliance with this subdivision. The department may notify the regional water quality control board, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the California Geologic Survey before conducting the onsite inspection. The regional water quality control board, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the California Geologic Survey may conduct an inspection with the department.

(4) (A) This subdivision shall be operative for a period of five years after the effective date of emergency regulations as adopted by the board and as of that date is inoperative.

(B) The board shall notify the Secretary of State when emergency regulations have been adopted.

(k) (1) The harvesting of trees, limited to those trees that eliminate the vertical continuity of vegetative fuels and the horizontal continuity of tree crowns, for the purpose of reducing the rate of fire spread, duration and intensity, fuel ignitability, or ignition of tree crowns. An exemption pursuant to this paragraph shall be known as the Forest Fire Prevention Exemption.

(2) The board may authorize an exemption pursuant to paragraph (1) only if the tree harvesting will decrease fuel continuity and increase the quadratic mean diameter of the stand, and the tree harvesting area will not exceed 300 acres. Increases in quadratic mean diameter shall only consider trees greater than eight inches in diameter at breast height. The notice of exemption may be authorized only if all of the conditions specified in paragraphs (3) to (9), inclusive, are met.

(3) A registered professional forester shall prepare the notice of exemption and submit it to the director.

(4) (A) The submitted notice of exemption shall include a description of the preharvest stand structure and a statement of the postharvest stand stocking levels and the expected postharvest increase in quadratic mean diameter.

(B) The level of residual stocking shall be consistent with maximum sustained production of high-quality timber products. The residual stand shall consist primarily of healthy and vigorous dominant and codominant trees from the preharvest stand. Stocking shall not be reduced below the standards required by the following provisions that apply to the exemption at issue:

(i) Clauses 1 to 4, inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Sections 913.3, 933.3, and 953.3 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, where appropriate.

(C) If the preharvest dominant and codominant crown canopy is occupied by trees less than 14 inches in diameter at breast height, a minimum of 100 trees over four inches in diameter at breast height shall be retained per acre for Site I, II, and III lands, and a minimum of 75 trees over four inches in diameter at breast height shall be retained per acre for Site IV and V lands.

(D) All trees that are harvested or all trees that are retained shall be marked or sample marked by, or under the supervision of, a registered professional forester before felling operations begin. The board shall adopt regulations for sample marking for this section in Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. Sample marking shall be limited to homogenous forest stand conditions typical of plantations.

(5) (A) The board shall adopt regulations for the treatment of understory vegetation and standing dead fuels, canopy closure, clearance to base of live crown, or ladder fuels, that could promote the spread of wildfire. A fuel reduction effort conducted under a submitted notice of exemption pursuant to this subdivision shall comply with the canopy closure regulations adopted by the board on June 10, 2004, and as those regulations may be amended.

(B) The postharvest stand shall not contain more than 200 trees over three inches in diameter per acre.

(C) Vertical spacing shall be achieved by treating dead fuels to a minimum clearance distance of eight feet measured from the base of the live crown of the postharvest dominant and codominant trees to the top of the dead surface fuels.

(D) The standards required by subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, shall be achieved on approximately 80 percent of the treated area.

(6) Before the submission of a notice of exemption to the department, the registered professional forester responsible for submitting the notice shall designate temporary road locations, landing locations, tractor road crossings of class III watercourses, unstable areas, or connected headwall swales on the ground and map their locations.

(7) The construction or reconstruction of temporary roads on slopes of 30 percent or less shall be allowed if all of the following conditions are met:

(A) Temporary roads or landings shall not be located on unstable areas, as defined in Section 895.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

(B) Temporary roads shall be single-lane in width.

(C) Temporary roads shall not be located across a connected headwall swale, as defined in Section 895.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

(D) Construction or reconstruction of temporary roads, landings, or watercourse crossings shall not occur during the winter operating period. Pursuant to subdivision (g) of Sections 923.6, 943.6, and 963.6, as applicable, of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, roads and landings used for log hauling or other heavy equipment uses during the winter period shall occur on a stable operating surface and, where necessary, be surfaced with rock to a depth and quantity sufficient to maintain the stable operating surface. Use shall be prohibited on roads that are not hydrologically disconnected and exhibit saturated soil conditions. Timber operations during the winter period shall comply with paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (c) of Sections 914.7, 934.7, and 954.7, as applicable, of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

(E) Use of temporary roads shall comply with the operational provisions of Article 12 (commencing with Section 923) of Subchapter 4 of Chapter 4 of Division 1.5 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, and recognize guidance on hydrologic disconnection in Technical Rule Addendum Number 5.

(F) No logging road or landings construction or reconstruction activities of any kind shall occur within 200 feet of class I and class II watercourses or within 50 feet of a class III watercourse.

(G) The landowner shall retain a registered professional forester who is available to provide professional advice to the licensed timber operator and timberland owner throughout the active timber operations. The name, address, telephone number, and registration number of the retained registered professional forester shall be provided on the submitted notice of exemption. This professional advice shall include overseeing the construction or reconstruction of any temporary roads or landings and advising on necessary mitigation to avoid potential impacts to associated watershed and forest resources. The registered professional forester shall also comply with Section 1035.2 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, relating to interaction between the licensed timber operator and the registered professional forester.

(H) The registered professional forester responsible for submitting the notice of exemption shall affirm that the construction or reconstruction of each temporary road is necessary to provide access to harvest areas where no feasible alternative exists. The submitted notice of exemption shall include the number and cumulative length of temporary roads that will be constructed or reconstructed.

(I) (i) Temporary road construction or reconstruction, shall be limited to no more than two miles of road per ownership in a planning watershed per any five-year period.

(ii) For each exemption affecting less than 40 acres, all temporary roads constructed or reconstructed under this exemption shall not exceed a cumulative length of 300 feet.

(iii) For each exemption affecting between 40 and 80 acres, all temporary roads constructed or reconstructed under this exemption shall not exceed a cumulative length of between 300 and 600 feet, as determined on a pro rata basis by the total acreage affected by the exemption.

(iv) For each exemption affecting over 80 acres, all temporary roads constructed or reconstructed under the exemption shall not exceed a cumulative length of 600 feet. The submitted notice of exemption shall list the number of acres affected and the cumulative length of the road in feet.

(v) Temporary roads constructed or reconstructed under this exemption shall not be connected to other temporary roads constructed under previous or subsequent exemptions filed under this paragraph.

(vi) All temporary roads shall be abandoned using proactive measures that have been applied to effectively remove them from the permanent road network, in accordance with the definition of abandoned road as defined in Section 895.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

(vii) This paragraph shall not be interpreted to permit road construction or reconstruction except as authorized under the Forest Fire Prevention Exemption, pursuant to this paragraph.

(viii) No trees larger than 36 inches in diameter at stump height, measured 8 inches above ground level, shall be removed for the purposes of road construction or reconstruction under a notice of exemption submitted pursuant to this subdivision. A tree that is between 30 and 36 inches in diameter at stump height, measured 8 inches above ground level, may be removed for the purposes of road construction or reconstruction under a notice of exemption submitted pursuant to this subdivision only if there are no feasible alternatives for the road placement.

(8) Except within constructed or reconstructed temporary road prisms, only trees less than 30 inches in stump diameter, measured at eight inches above ground level, may be removed.

(9) All timber operations conducted pursuant to this subdivision shall only occur within the most recent version of the department’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map in the moderate, high, and very high fire threat zones.

(10) If pesticides or herbicides will be used within the boundaries of an area covered by a notice of exemption pursuant to this paragraph within one year of director acceptance, the timberland owner shall notify the appropriate regional water quality control board 10 days before application of any pesticides or herbicides.

(11) After the timber operations are complete, the department shall conduct an onsite inspection to determine compliance with this subdivision and whether appropriate enforcement action should be initiated. The department shall notify the appropriate regional water quality control board, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the California Geologic Survey seven days prior to conducting the onsite inspection. The regional water quality control board, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the California Geologic Survey may conduct an inspection with the department.

(12) This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1, 2026.

(l) The cutting or removal of trees to restore and conserve California black or Oregon white oak woodlands and associated grasslands, if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) A registered professional forester shall prepare the notice of exemption and submit it to the director. The notice shall include all of the following:

(A) A certification signed by the registered professional forester that a minimum of 35 square feet of basal area per acre of California black or Oregon white oak, or both, occupy the proposed treatment area at the time the notice is prepared and the timber operation is designed to restore and conserve California black and Oregon white oak woodlands and associated grasslands.

(B) A description of the preharvest stand structure and a statement of the postharvest stand stocking levels.

(2) No tree larger than 26 inches in diameter at stump height shall be harvested for commercial purposes, which includes use for saw logs, posts and poles, fuel wood, biomass, or other forest products.

(3) Only conifers within 300 feet of a California black or Oregon white oak that are at minimum four inches in diameter at breast height may be harvested.

(4) The total area exempted pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed 300 acres per property per five-year period.

(5) Conifer shall be reduced to less than 25 percent of the combined hardwood and conifer postharvest stand stocking levels.

(6) No more than 20 percent of the total basal area of preexisting oak stock shall be cut or removed during harvest and a minimum of 35 square feet of basal area per acre of California black or Oregon white oak, or both, shall be maintained postharvest.

(7) Slash shall be configured so as to minimize the risk of fire mortality to the remaining oak trees.

(8) The board shall adopt regulations to implement this subdivision.

(9) This subdivision shall not apply to the Southern Subdistrict of the Coast Forest District, as defined in Section 895.1 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, or the Southern Forest District, as defined in Section 909 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

(m) (1) The board may exempt from this chapter, or portions of this chapter, a person engaged in forest management whose activities are limited to the cutting or removal of trees on the person’s property in compliance with Sections 4290 and 4291 that eliminates the vertical continuity of vegetative fuels and the horizontal continuity of tree crowns for the purpose of reducing flammable materials and maintaining a fuelbreak for a distance of not more than 300 feet on each side from an approved and legally permitted habitable structure, when that cutting or removal is conducted in compliance with this subdivision and all of the following conditions are met:

(A) The notice of exemption is prepared, signed, and submitted by a registered professional forester to the department.

(B) For the areas between 150 and 300 feet from the habitable structure, the operations meet all of the following provisions:

(i) The residual stocking standards are consistent with Sections 913.2, 933.2, and 953.2 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, as appropriate.

(ii) Activities within this area will increase the quadratic mean diameter of the stand.

(iii) The residual stand consists primarily of healthy and vigorous dominant and codominant trees from the preharvest stand, well distributed throughout the harvested area.

(iv) Postharvest slash treatment and stand conditions will lead to more moderate fire behavior in the professional judgment of the registered professional forester who submits the notice of exemption.

(v) Any additional guidance for slash treatment and postharvest stand conditions and any other issues deemed necessary that are consistent with this section, as established by the board.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “habitable structure” means a building that contains one or more dwelling units or that can be occupied for residential use. Buildings occupied for residential use include single-family homes, multidwelling structures, mobile and manufactured homes, and condominiums. For purposes of this subdivision, “habitable structure” does not include commercial, industrial, or incidental buildings such as detached garages, barns, outdoor sanitation facilities, and sheds.

(3) This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1, 2026.

SEC. 4.

Section 42040 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

42040.

(a) This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act.

(b) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) Disadvantaged and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by the human health and environmental impacts of plastic pollution and fossil fuel extraction.

(2) (A) Local jurisdictions are the backbone of the solid waste management and recycling efforts in California. The new statewide comprehensive circular economy framework established by this chapter is intended to shift the burden of costs to collect, process, and recycle materials from the local jurisdictions to the producers of covered material.

(B) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to ensure that local jurisdictions will be made financially whole for any new costs incurred associated with the implementation of this chapter and its implementing regulations.

(3) (A) In 2021, only 5 percent of postconsumer plastic waste in the United States was recycled, down from a high of 9.5 percent in 2014, when the United States exported millions of tons of plastic waste to China. Even then, much of this material was incinerated or dumped into the environment and not recycled.

(B) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a producer responsibility program designed to ensure that producers of single-use packaging and food service ware covered by this program take responsibility for the costs associated with the end-of-life management of that material and ensure that the material is recyclable or compostable. This standardization will reduce consumer confusion regarding recycling and composting, reduce costs to ratepayers, and increase system efficiency.

(C) It is also the intent of the Legislature that these improvements will allow California, going forward, to better harmonize curbside collection programs as local jurisdictions will collect material identified as either recyclable or compostable if that material is found to be suitable for curbside collection.

(4) Recycling can be an effective way to reclaim some natural resources, such as metals, glass, paper, and some plastic resins. However, in some circumstances, recycling is cost-prohibitive and an ineffective means to handle the end-of-life management of a covered material. In these circumstances, the Legislature acknowledges that some material types cannot effectively meet the requirements of this chapter and producers will be required to eliminate, redesign, or shift packaging or food service ware to a covered material category that can more efficiently meet the requirements of this chapter.

(5) This chapter does not modify, limit, or abrogate in any manner the existing rights of an owner of recyclable materials to sell or donate those materials.

SEC. 5.

Section 42041 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:

42041.

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Advisory board” means the producer responsibility advisory board established pursuant to Section 42070.

(b) “Bulk or large format packaging” means packaging for a large amount of a product in a large packaging, thereby offsetting the need for multiple smaller packaging units for the same amount of product.

(c) “California circular economy administrative fee” means the fee imposed by the department pursuant to Section 42053.5.

(d) “Concentrate” or “concentration” means reducing the amount of packaging needed for a product by reformulating the product to allow for smaller quantities of the product to be used for the same purpose as the previous, larger quantity.

(e) (1) “Covered material” means both of the following:

(A) Single-use packaging that is routinely recycled, disposed of, or discarded after its contents have been used or unpackaged, and typically not refilled or otherwise reused by the producer.

(B) Plastic single-use food service ware, including, but not limited to, plastic-coated paper or plastic-coated paperboard, paper or paperboard with plastic intentionally added during the manufacturing process, and multilayer flexible material. For purposes of this subparagraph, “single-use food service ware” includes both of the following:

(i) Trays, plates, bowls, clamshells, lids, cups, utensils, stirrers, hinged or lidded containers, and straws.

(ii) Wraps or wrappers and bags used in the packaging of food offered for sale or provided to customers by food service establishments.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), “covered material” does not include any of the following:

(A) Packaging used for any of the following products:

(i) Medical products and products defined as devices or prescription drugs, as specified in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Secs. 321(g), 321(h), and 353(b)(1)).

(ii) Drugs that are used for animal medicines, including, but not limited to, parasiticide products for animals.

(iii) Products intended for animals that are regulated as animal drugs, biologics, parasiticides, medical devices, or diagnostics used to treat, or administered to, animals under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 301 et seq.), the federal Virus-Serum-Toxin Act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 151 et seq.), or the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. Sec. 136 et seq.).

(iv) Infant formula, as defined in Section 321(z) of Title 21 of the United States Code.

(v) Medical food, as defined in Section 360ee(b)(3) of Title 21 of the United States Code.

(vi) Fortified oral nutritional supplements used for persons who require supplemental or sole source nutrition to meet nutritional needs due to special dietary needs directly related to cancer, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, malnutrition, or failure to thrive, as those terms are defined as by the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, or other medical conditions as determined by the department.

(B) Packaging used to contain products regulated by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. Sec. 136 et seq.).

(C) Plastic packaging containers that are used to contain and ship products that are classified for transportation as dangerous goods or hazardous materials under Part 178 (commencing with Section 178.0) of Subchapter C of Chapter I of Subtitle B of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(D) Packaging used to contain hazardous or flammable products classified by the 2012 federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Hazard Communication Standard (29 C.F.R. 1910.1200).

(E) Beverage containers subject to the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act (Division 12.1 (commencing with Section 14500)).

(F) Packaging used for the long-term protection or storage of a product that has a lifespan of not less than five years, as determined by the department.

(G) Packaging associated with products covered under the architectural paint recovery program established pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 48700) of Part 7.

(H) (i) Covered material for which the producer demonstrates to the department that the covered material meets all of the following criteria:

(I) The covered material is not collected through a residential recycling collection service.

(II) The covered material does not undergo separation from other materials at a commingled recycling processing facility.

(III) The covered material is recycled at a responsible end market.

(IV) Until January 1, 2027, the producer annually demonstrates to the department that the material has had a recycling rate of 65 percent for three consecutive years. On and after January 1, 2027, the producer demonstrates to the department that the material has had a recycling rate at or over 70 percent annually, as demonstrated to the department every two years.

(ii) If only a portion of the covered material sold in or into the state by a producer meets the criteria of clause (i), only the portion of the covered material that meets the criteria of clause (i) is exempt from this chapter and any portion that does not meet the criteria is a covered material for purposes of this chapter.

(f) “Covered material category” means a category that includes covered material of a similar type and form, as determined by the department.

(g) “Curbside collection” means a program that includes the collection of material, including, but not limited to, covered materials, by a local jurisdiction or recycling or composting service provider under contract with a local jurisdiction.

(h) “Department” means the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.

(i) “Disadvantaged community” means an area identified by the California Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Section 39711 of the Health and Safety Code or an area identified as a disadvantaged unincorporated community pursuant to Section 65302.10 of the Government Code.

(j) “Eliminate” or “elimination,” with respect to source reduction, means the removal of a plastic component from a covered material without replacing that component with a nonplastic component.

(k) “Expanded polystyrene” means blown polystyrene and expanded or extruded foams that are thermoplastic petrochemical materials utilizing a styrene monomer and processed by any technique or techniques, including, but not limited to, fusion of polymer spheres (expandable bead polystyrene), injection molding, foam molding, and extrusion-blow molding (extruded foam polystyrene).

(l) “Lightweighting” means reducing the weight or amount of material used in a specific packaging or food service ware without functionally changing the packaging or food service ware. “Lightweighting” does not include changes that result in a recyclable or compostable covered material becoming nonrecyclable or noncompostable or less likely to be recycled or composted.

(m) “Local jurisdiction” means a city, county, city and county, regional agency formed pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code or Article 3 (commencing with Section 40970) of Chapter 1 of Part 2, or special district that provides solid waste collection services.

(n) “Low-income community” means an area with household incomes at or below 80 percent of the statewide median income or with household incomes at or below the threshold designated as low income by the Department of Housing and Community Development’s list of state income limits adopted pursuant to Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code.

(o) “Malus fee” means a charge imposed by a PRO on a participant producer for a covered material due to the adverse environmental or public health impacts of the covered material.

(p) “Materials recovery facility” or “MRF” means a recycling facility that receives recyclable material, including, but not limited to, any covered material, for mechanical or manual sorting into specification-grade commodities for sale to a broker or end market.

(q) “Needs assessment” means a needs assessment prepared pursuant to Section 42067.

(r) “Optimize” or “optimization” means limiting the amount of covered material used in packaging by meeting product or packaging needs with minimal material. This includes, but is not limited to, eliminating unnecessary components, right-sizing, concentrating, and using bulk or large format packaging.

(s) “Packaging” means any separable and distinct material component used for the containment, protection, handling, delivery, or presentation of goods by the producer for the user or consumer, ranging from raw materials to processed goods. “Packaging” includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Sales packaging or primary packaging intended to provide the user or consumer the individual serving or unit of the product and most closely containing the product, food, or beverage.

(2) Grouped packaging or secondary packaging intended to bundle, sell in bulk, brand, or display the product.

(3) Transport packaging or tertiary packaging intended to protect the product during transport.

(4) Packaging components and ancillary elements integrated into packaging, including ancillary elements directly hung onto or attached to a product and that perform a packaging function, except both of the following:

(A) An element of the packaging or food service ware with a de minimis weight or volume, which is not an independent plastic component, as determined by the department.

(B) A component or element that is an integral part of the product, if all components or elements of the product are intended to be consumed or disposed of together.

(t) “Plastic” means a synthetic or semisynthetic material chemically synthesized by the polymerization of organic substances that can be shaped into various rigid and flexible forms, and includes coatings and adhesives. “Plastic” includes, without limitation, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polylactic acid (PLA), and aliphatic biopolyesters, such as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). “Plastic” does not include natural rubber or naturally occurring polymers such as proteins or starches.

(u) “Plastic component” means any single piece of covered material made partially or entirely of plastic. A plastic component may constitute the entirety of the covered material or a separate or separable piece of the covered material.

(v) “Processing” means to sort, segregate, break or flake, and clean material to prepare it to meet the specification for sale to a responsible end market.

(w) (1) “Producer” means a person who manufactures a product that uses covered material and who owns or is the licensee of the brand or trademark under which the product is used in a commercial enterprise, sold, offered for sale, or distributed in the state.

(2) If there is no person in the state who is the producer for purposes of paragraph (1), the producer of the covered material is the owner or, if the owner is not in the state, the exclusive licensee of a brand or trademark under which the product using the covered material is used in a commercial enterprise, sold, offered for sale, or distributed in the state. For purposes of this subdivision, a licensee is a person holding the exclusive right to use a trademark or brand in the state in connection with the manufacture, sale, or distribution of the product packaged in or made from the covered material.

(3) If there is no person in the state who is the producer for purposes of paragraph (1) or (2), the producer of the covered material is the person who sells, offers for sale, or distributes the product that uses the covered material in or into the state.

(4) “Producer” does not include a person who produces, harvests, and packages an agricultural commodity on the site where the agricultural commodity was grown or raised.

(5) For purposes of this chapter, the sale of covered materials shall be deemed to occur in the state if the covered materials are delivered to the purchaser in the state.

(x) “Producer responsibility organization” or “PRO” means an organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is formed for the purpose of implementing a plan to meet the requirements of this chapter.

(y) “Producer responsibility plan” or “plan,” unless context requires otherwise, means the plan produced by a PRO, or by a producer that chooses to assume responsibility to comply with this chapter individually, and submitted to the advisory board and department pursuant to Section 42051.1.

(z) “Rate of inbound contamination” means the amount of nonrecyclable or noncompostable materials arriving at a materials recovery facility or other recycling or composting facility.

(aa) (1) “Recycle” or “recycling” means the process of collecting, sorting, cleansing, treating, and reconstituting materials that would otherwise ultimately be disposed of onto land or into water or the atmosphere, and returning them to, or maintaining them within, the economic mainstream in the form of recovered material for new, reused, or reconstituted products, including compost, that meet the quality standards necessary to be used in the marketplace.

(2) “Recycle” or “recycling” does not include any of the following:

(A) Combustion.

(B) Incineration.

(D) Fuel production, except for anaerobic digestion of source separated organic materials.

(E) Other forms of disposal.

(3) To be considered recycled, covered material shall be sent to a responsible end market.

(4) (A) The department may adopt regulations to define guidelines and verification requirements for covered material shipped out of state and exported to other countries for recycling, including processing requirements, and contamination standards, or to otherwise implement this paragraph.

(B) For any mixture of plastic waste exported to another country, the PRO or producer shall certify to the department that the processes and recycling technologies used meet both of the following requirements, as determined by the department:

(i) The plastic waste is a mixture of plastic types consisting only of one or more of polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate, and the export is destined for separate recycling of each material.

(ii) The plastic waste export is not prohibited by an applicable law or treaty of the destination jurisdiction, and the import of the plastic waste into the destination jurisdiction will be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and treaties of that destination jurisdiction.

(C) For any mixture of plastic waste exported to other states or countries, the PRO or producer shall certify to the department that the recycling technology used meets the requirements of this subdivision.

(D) In meeting the requirements of subparagraphs (B) and (C), the PRO or producer shall provide documentation necessary to verify this certification and shall make the certification under penalty of perjury.

(5) The department’s regulations shall encourage recycling that minimizes generation of hazardous waste, generation of greenhouse gases, environmental impacts, environmental justice impacts, and public health impacts. The regulations shall include criteria to exclude plastic recycling technologies that produce significant amounts of hazardous waste.

(ab) “Recycling rate” means the percentage, overall and by category, of covered material sold, offered for sale, distributed, or imported in the state that is ultimately recycled. The recycling rate shall be calculated as the amount of covered material that is recycled in a given year divided by the total amount of covered material disposed of, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 40192, and the amount of covered material recycled, unless and until the department adopts a new methodology for calculating the recycling rate by regulation.

(ac) “Recycling service provider” means a solid waste enterprise that provides solid waste handling services on behalf of a local jurisdiction.

(ad) “Responsible end market” means a materials market in which the recycling and recovery of materials or the disposal of contaminants is conducted in a way that benefits the environment and minimizes risks to public health and worker health and safety. The department may adopt regulations to identify responsible end markets and to establish criteria regarding benefits to the environment and minimizing risks to public health and worker health and safety.

(ae) (1) “Retailer” or “wholesaler” means the person or entity who sells covered material in the state to purchasers or offers to purchasers the covered material in the state through any means, including, but not limited to, any of the following:

(A) Remote offering, including sales outlets or catalogs.

(B) Electronically through the internet.

(D) Mail.

(E) Direct sales.

(2) A person who sells covered material as a third-party seller using an online marketplace as described in paragraph (3) shall be considered the retailer or wholesaler for purposes of such transactions. The owner or operator of the online marketplace shall not be considered the retailer or wholesaler for such sales.

(3) For purposes of this subdivision, “online marketplace” means a consumer-directed, electronically accessed platform in which all of the following are true:

(A) The platform includes features that enable third-party sellers to sell consumer products directly to consumers in the state without the owner or operator of the platform involved in the transaction other than by providing order processing, payment, storage, shipping, or delivery services.

(B) Third-party sellers use the features described in subparagraph (A) to sell directly to consumers in the state, with title to the consumer product passing from the third-party sellers directly to consumers and not being held by the owner or operator of the online marketplace at any point during the transaction, including upon receipt of the order and throughout the order fulfillment process.

(C) Except as provided by subparagraph (E), the owner or operator of the platform does not directly or indirectly control the covered material used in packaging and shipping of a consumer product in this state.

(D) The person or entity operating the platform has a contractual or similar relationship with consumers governing their use of the platform to purchase consumer products.

(E) Third-party sellers agree, pursuant to the platform’s terms and conditions or other enforceable agreement, that they will not use the platform to offer for sale, sell, or distribute into the state covered material that does not meet the requirements of this chapter.

(af) “Reusable” or “refillable” or “reuse” or “refill,” in regard to packaging or food service ware, means either of the following:

(1) For packaging or food service ware that is reused or refilled by a producer, it satisfies all of the following:

(A) Explicitly designed and marketed to be utilized multiple times for the same product, or for another purposeful packaging use in a supply chain.

(B) Designed for durability to function properly in its original condition for multiple uses.

(C) Supported by adequate infrastructure to ensure the packaging or food service ware can be conveniently and safely reused or refilled for multiple cycles.

(D) Repeatedly recovered, inspected, and repaired, if necessary, and reissued into the supply chain for reuse or refill for multiple cycles.

(2) For packaging or food service ware that is reused or refilled by a consumer, it satisfies all of the following:

(A) Explicitly designed and marketed to be utilized multiple times for the same product.

(B) Designed for durability to function properly in its original condition for multiple uses.

(C) Supported by adequate and convenient availability of and retail infrastructure for bulk or large format packaging that may be refilled to ensure the packaging or food service ware can be conveniently and safely reused or refilled by the consumer multiple times.

(ag) “Right-size” or “right-sizing” means reducing the amount of material used to package an item by reducing unnecessary space or eliminating unnecessary components of the packaging.

(ah) “Rural area” has the same meaning as defined in Section 50101 of the Health and Safety Code.

(ai) “Single use” means conventionally disposed of after a single use or not sufficiently durable or washable to be, or not intended to be, reusable or refillable.

(aj) “Source reduction” means the reduction in the amount of covered material created by a producer relative to a baseline established pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42057. Methods of source reduction include, but are not limited to, shifting covered material to reusable or refillable packaging or a reusable product or eliminating unnecessary packaging. “Source reduction” does not include either of the following:

(1) Replacing a recyclable or compostable covered material with a nonrecyclable or noncompostable covered material or a covered material that is less likely to be recycled or composted.

(2) Switching from virgin covered material to postconsumer recycled content.

(ak) “Source reduction plan” means the plan prepared as part of the PRO plan in accordance with Section 42057.

(al) “Unexpended funds” means moneys in a PRO’s accounts that the organization is not already obligated to pay pursuant to a contract, claim, or similar mechanism. “Unexpended funds” excludes the California circular economy administrative fees.

SEC. 5.5.