BILL NUMBER: AB 1173 VETOED DATE: 10/12/2009 To the Members of the California State Assembly: I am returning Assembly Bill 1173 without my signature. This bill creates a new program for the recycling of certain residentially-generated fluorescent lamps. While I applaud the author's intent, this bill inappropriately links a waste and toxics reduction program to California's world-renowned energy efficiency efforts. Current law requires the state's investor-owned and publicly-owned utilities to charge consumers a public goods charge and use a portion of the money collected on energy efficiency programs. One of those programs has traditionally been to incentivize the purchase of more energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) by providing monetary incentives to both manufacturers and retailers to reduce the increased costs of CFLs to the consumer. By tying CFL recycling mandates to a manufacturer or retailers' participation in CFL energy efficiency programs, this bill creates a reverse incentive that could force manufacturers and retailers to choose not to participate in either program. The result is no new improvement to CFL recycling and a potential increase in the costs of CFLs to consumers, which decreases CFL sales and undermines our energy-efficiency efforts. For these reasons, I am unable to sign this bill. Sincerely, Arnold Schwarzenegger