BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2611
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 19, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
AB 2611 (Ma) - As Amended: April 8, 2010
SUBJECT : Recycling: electronic waste.
SUMMARY : Increases the screen size for electronic devices
currently included in the Electronic Waste Recycling Act (Act)
from 4-inches diagonal (or 8 square inches) to 9 square inches
(or a minimum of 4.25 inches diagonally).
EXISTING LAW :
1)Pursuant to the Act:
a) Defines a covered electronic device (CED) as a video
display device containing a screen greater than four
inches, measured diagonally, and identified in
regulations adopted by Department of Toxic Substance
Control (DTSC). Currently, CEDs include:
i) Cathode ray tubes (CRT) and CRT-containing devices
(including CRT televisions and computer monitors);
ii) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)-containing televisions
and monitors;
iii) Laptop computers containing LCD screens;
iv) Gas plasma display televisions; and,
v) Personal DVD players.
b) Excludes from this definition a video display device
that is a part of a motor vehicle; a device in a piece of
industrial, commercial, or medical equipment; and, a device
in a clothes washer, clothes dryer, refrigerator,
refrigerator and freezer, microwave oven, conventional oven
or range, dishwasher, room air-conditioner, dehumidifier,
or air purifier.
c) Requires a consumer purchasing a CED to pay the e-waste
fee, which is deposited into the Electronic Waste Recovery
and Recycling Account (Account), which is continually
appropriated to the Department of Resources Recycling and
Recovery (DRRR) and DTSC.
2)Pursuant to the California Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004,
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requires retailers to accept all cellular phones from
consumers for recycling. It is unlawful for a retailer to
sell a cellular phone to a consumer in California unless the
retailer provides collection of used cellular phones for
reuse, recycling or proper disposal.
3)Pursuant to the Pythagorean Theorem, the sum of the areas of
the two squares on the legs (a and b) equals the area of the
square on the hypotenuse (c), or a2+b2=c2. In other words, a
4-inch diagonal square is equivalent to 8 square inches; 9
square inches is equivalent to a 4.25-inch diagonal square.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown; however, this bill may result in
decreased revenues to the Account to the extent that it exempts
products currently included in the Act.
COMMENTS :
1)Need for the bill : According to the author, "the current 4
inch diagonal is prejudicial to products that have longer
diagonal measurements but less overall screen size then
products with a diagonal screen size less than 4 inches.
Furthermore, the 4 inch diagonal limit is hampering the
development of products with screens greater than 4 inches
that would be otherwise better products with larger screens.
(Example: touch screen cell phones.) The cell phone
industry's move to touch screen cell phones has resulted in
products that are difficult for the visually impaired to take
full advantage of the product due to the small screen sizes
available."
2)E-waste : The Act established a comprehensive program to
finance the end-of-life management of CEDs. The program is
financed through an electronic waste recycling fee paid by
consumers for covered devices. These revenues are used to
administer the programs established by the Act, including the
disbursement of recovery and recycling payments to approved
collectors and recyclers of covered electronic waste. The
fee, ranging from $8 to $25 depending on screen size, is
collected at the time of retail sale.
3)Effect of the bill? : Although the author's statement
references cell phones, they are not subject to the Act or
related e-waste fees. They are subject to the California Cell
Phone Recycling Act of 2004. This bill would impact only
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small video displays or televisions subject to the E-Waste
Act. The change in size calculation would result in a new
requirement for measuring CED that would increase the screen
size by one square inch, or one-quarter of one inch measured
diagonally.
4)Suggested amendment : This bill does not establish the
author's stated intent to establish a standard equivalent to
the current standard of 4-inches measured diagonally. The
committee may wish to amend the bill to specify that the
standard is 4-inches diagonally or 8 square inches.
Moreover, the findings and declarations in this bill incorrectly
state that cell phones and personal digital assistance devices
(PDAs) are subject to the Act, and that the Act hinders the
ability of the visually impaired to use these devices. The
committee may also wish to amend the findings and declarations
to clarify that this bill relates to CEDs subject to the Act ,
as the bill has no effect on cell phones.
5) Double Referral: This bill was heard by the Assembly
Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee on April 13
and passed out with a vote of 6-0.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Technology for the Visually Impaired, LLC
Opposition
Californians Against Waste
Analysis Prepared by : Elizabeth MacMillan / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092