BILL NUMBER: SB 1723	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 25, 2008
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 30, 2008
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 17, 2008
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 27, 2008

INTRODUCED BY   Senators Maldonado and Simitian

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2008

   An act to add Section  12841.3   12841.4
 to the Food and Agricultural Code, relating to agriculture.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1723, as amended, Maldonado. Agriculture: pesticide recycling
program and certification.
   Existing law forbids the sale of a pesticide unless it is in a
registrant's sealed or closed container or package.
   This bill would require every person who is the first to sell any
agricultural- or structural-use pesticide product for use in this
state that is packaged in rigid, nonrefillable, high-density
polyethylene (HDPE) containers of 55 gallons or less to establish a
recycling program, or demonstrate participation in a recycling
program to ensure HDPE containers are recycled. Container recycling
would be required to comply with specified standards, as published in
February 2006, and the recycling program would be required to be
certified as being in compliance by a specified 3rd-party
organization. This bill would require that records required by those
standards shall be maintained for 3 years and shall be subject to
audit by the director. The bill would provide that any person who is
required to establish or participate in this recycling program shall
provide to the director, at least annually, a document certifying
that this requirement has been met. The bill would allow the director
to adopt regulations to carry out the purpose of these requirements,
and state the Legislature's intent that any regulatory standards
adopted by the department shall be at least as stringent as those
standards published in February 2006, as specified. The bill would
require specified information be posted on the department's Internet
Web site commencing on September 1, 2010. A violation of these
requirements would be punishable by a civil fine.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section  12841.3   12841.4 
is added to the Food and Agricultural Code, to read:
    12841.3.   12841.4.   (a) Every person
who is the first to sell any agricultural- or structural-use
pesticide product for use in this state that is packaged in rigid,
nonrefillable, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers of 55
gallons or less shall establish a recycling program, or demonstrate
participation in a recycling program to ensure HDPE containers are
recycled. Container recycling must comply with the American National
Standard Institute (ANSI) American Society of Agriculture and
Biological Engineers (ASABE) Standard S596, entitled Recycling
Plastic Containers from Pesticides and Pesticide-Related Products, as
published in February 2006. The recycling program must be certified
by an ANSI-accredited third-party organization as being in compliance
with the ANSI/ASABE Standard S596. The records required by these
standards shall be maintained for three years and shall be subject to
audit by the director.
   (b) Any person who is required to establish or participate in a
recycling program pursuant to this section shall provide to the
director, at least annually, a document certifying that this
requirement has been met.
   (c) (1) The director may adopt regulations to carry out the
purposes of this section.  Upon a federal pesticide container
recycling program being adopted, the director may adopt regulations
to conform to the federal program. 
   (2) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section
that any regulatory standards adopted by the department shall be at
least as stringent as those standards referred to in subdivision (a).

   (d) Commencing September 1, 2010, the department shall estimate a
recycling rate for pesticide containers and propose suggestions for
program improvements and post this information annually on its
Internet Web site.