A bill overhauling California’s battery stewardship law passed the Assembly 62-14 on Aug. 24. It now awaits the state Senate’s sign-off, the last step before it reaches Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
SB 501, authored by Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica), restructures how the state’s Responsible Battery Recycling Act of 2022 classifies covered batteries.
Instead of exempting large primary and rechargeable batteries from the program, the bill would eliminate those weight-based exclusions entirely and sort all covered batteries into two new categories, “small format” and “medium format,” based on weight and watt-hour rating. Stewardship plans would need to detail collection-site coverage for each category separately.
The amended bill text also tightens oversight. Stewardship organizations would have to demonstrate adequate financial controls, audits would follow US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) codification and program operators would need to show they’re hitting minimum recycling rates by battery type.
Record retention requirements were raised from three years to five, extending how long producers, program operators and stewardship organizations must keep records such as collection, transportation and recycling data accessible to the department.
The Department of Toxic Substances Control also gains expanded inspection authority over producers, recyclers and collection sites.
The bill swaps required consultation from CalEPA’s Environmental Justice Task Force to the department’s Office of Environmental Justice, Tribal Relations, Education and Outreach. It also adds coordination with California Native American tribes.
The Senate must still vote to concur with the Assembly’s amendments before the bill goes to Newsom.
