Amended in Assembly April 18, 2013

Amended in Assembly April 8, 2013

Amended in Assembly March 19, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 403


Introduced by Assembly Members Stone and Eggman

February 15, 2013


An act to amend Section 118286 of the Health and Safety Code, and to repeal and add Article 3.3 (commencing with Section 47115) of Chapter 1 of Part 7 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code, relating to solid waste.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 403, as amended, Stone. Solid waste: home-generated sharps.

(1) Existing law requires a pharmaceutical manufacturer selling or distributing medication that is intended to be self-injected at home to submit, on an annual basis, to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery a plan supporting the safe collection and proper disposal of specified waste devices.

This bill would require a producer of home-generated sharps or a stewardship organization designated by the producer to submit a home-generated sharps stewardship plan by April 1, 2015, to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. The bill would require the plan to provide for the development and implementation of a recovery program to reduce the generation of, and manage thebegin delete end-of-lifeend deletebegin insert end of lifeend insert of, home-generated sharps, and to include specified elements, including provisions to meetbegin delete unspecifiedend deletebegin insert specifiedend insert minimum collection rates for the home-generated sharps subject to the plan.

begin delete

The

end delete

begin insertThisend insert bill would provide for the review and approval of the plan by the department and would require the department, on January 1, 2016, or upon the date the first plan is approved, whichever is earlier, to post on its Internet Web site a list of producers for which the department has approved a plan. The bill would require a wholesaler, health care facility, retailer, or other distributor that distributes or sells home-generated sharps to monitor the department’s Internet Web site to determine if the sale of a producer’s home-generated sharps is in compliance with the bill.begin delete The bill would, as of 120 days after that posting, prohibit a producer or retailer from selling or offering for sale in this state home-generated sharps to a person in this state unless the producer of those home-generated sharps is in compliance with the bill’s requirements.end delete

begin delete

The

end delete

begin insertThisend insert bill would require a producer or stewardship organization, by April 1, 2017, and every subsequent year thereafter, to prepare and submit to the department an annual report describing the activities carried out pursuant to the plan during the previous calendar year. The department would be required to review the report and would direct the department, if the annual report does not demonstrate the achievement of an unspecified collection rate increase, to require the program to take additional actions with regard to improving and increasing the number of home-generated sharps collection points, ensuring accessibility to those points, and providing additional education and outreach activities. The bill would authorize the department to exempt a producer or stewardship organization from the annual report requirements if the department determines that the collection rate for the home-generated sharps subject to a plan meets a 95% collection rate.

begin delete

The

end delete

begin insertThisend insert bill would require a producer or stewardship organization submitting a plan to the department to pay the department an annual administrative fee in an amount that is sufficient to cover the department’s full costs of administering and enforcing these provisions. The bill would require the department to deposit the fees in the Safe Sharps Disposal Account, which the bill would establish in the Integrated Waste Management Fund, and the department would be authorized to expend the moneys in that account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to administer and enforce the bill’s requirements.

begin delete

The

end delete

begin insertThisend insert bill would require the department to enforce these provisions and would authorize the department to impose an administrative civil penalty on a person who violates the bill’s requirements or on a producer or stewardship organization that does not achieve the unspecified minimum collection rate. The department would be required to deposit all penalties collected into the Safe Sharps Disposal Penalty Account, which the bill would create in the Integrated Waste Management Fund, and the department would be authorized to expend the moneys in that account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to enforce the bill’s requirements.

(2) The existing Medical Waste Management Act, administered by the State Department of Public Health, prohibits a person from knowingly placing home-generated sharps waste in certain types of containers, requires that home-generated sharps waste be transported only in a sharps container, as defined in the act, or other container approved by the department or local enforcement agency, and requires that this waste be managed only at specified locations.

This bill would additionally allow home-generated sharps waste to be managed at a facility or collection point operated pursuant to an approved home-generated sharps stewardship plan.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

P3    1

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

3(a) The United States Environmental Protection Agency
4estimates that about 9 million people in the United States currently
5use disposable needles (sharps) at home to deliver medications to
6treat a variety of diseases and conditions, including diabetes,
7cancer, multiple sclerosis, migraines, and allergies. United States
8households use more than 3 billion disposable needles and syringes
9each year.

10(b) Since 2008begin insert,end insert it has been illegal in California for individuals
11to throw away home-generated sharps. While the state banned
12needles from trash disposal in 2008, there is still no consistent,
13statewide program that is sustainably funded or has high levels of
14effectiveness at collecting the majority of sharps disposed of each
15year in California. As a result, thousands of pounds of illegally
P4    1disposed of sharps enter the municipal waste stream each year,
2putting many people at risk of injury or infection.

3(c) Sharps in the trash pose serious health risks to sanitation
4workers, water treatment facility operators, and the general public.
5In addition to the immediate risk of a needle stick injury, sharps
6put individuals at risk of acquiring blood borne infectious diseases,
7such as hepatitis or HIV. Individuals who suffer a needle stick
8injury must receive immediate treatment andbegin delete followupend deletebegin insert follow-upend insert
9 care, including multiple lab tests and medications.

10(d) When sanitation workers encounter sharps, productivity
11suffers and costs increase. When workers sustain a needle stick
12injury, the costs of care are borne by the waste management
13company, the workers’ compensation insurer, and ultimately,
14taxpayers and ratepayers.

15(e) It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting the safe
16home-generated sharps recovery program, as established by Article
173.3 (commencing with Section 47115) of Chapter 1 of Part 7 of
18Division 30 of the Public Resources Code, to ensure affordable
19and convenient sharps collection opportunities, which, in turn, will
20help prevent the improper management of those sharps.

21

SEC. 2.  

Section 118286 of the Health and Safety Code is
22amended to read:

23

118286.  

(a) A person shall not knowingly place
24home-generated sharps waste in any of the following containers:

25(1) Any container used for the collection of solid waste,
26recyclable materials, or greenwaste.

27(2) Any container used for the commercial collection of solid
28waste or recyclable materials from business establishments.

29(3) Any roll-off container used for the collection of solid waste,
30construction, and demolition debris, greenwaste, or other recyclable
31materials.

32(b) Home-generated sharps waste shall be transported only in
33a sharps container, or other containers approved by the enforcement
34agency, and shall only be managed at any of the following:

35(1) A household hazardous waste facility pursuant to Section
3625218.13.

37(2) A “home-generated sharps consolidation point” as defined
38in subdivision (b) of Section 117904.

39(3) A medical waste generator’s facility pursuant to Section
40118147.

P5    1(4) A facility through the use of a medical waste mail-back
2container approved by the department pursuant to subdivision (b)
3of Section 118245.

4(5) A facility or other home-generated sharps collection point
5operated pursuant to a home-generated sharps stewardship plan
6approved pursuant to Article 3.3 (commencing with Section 47115)
7of Chapter 1 of Part 7 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code.

8

SEC. 3.  

Article 3.3 (commencing with Section 47115) of
9Chapter 1 of Part 7 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code
10 is repealed.

11

SEC. 4.  

Article 3.3 (commencing with Section 47115) is added
12to Chapter 1 of Part 7 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code,
13to read:

14 

15Article 3.3.  Safe Home-Generated Sharps Recovery Program
16

 

begin delete
17

47115.  

The Legislature finds and declares that the purpose of
18the safe home-generated sharps recovery program established by
19this article is to require the producers of injection devices to
20develop and implement a program to collect, transport, and process
21home-generated sharps, thereby reducing the costs, public health
22risks, and environmental impacts of the illegal and unsafe disposal
23of home-generated sharps in this state.

end delete
24

begin delete47116.end delete
25begin insert47115.end insert  

For purposes of this article, the following terms have
26the following meanings:

begin insert

27(a) “Baseline” is a percentage that is determined by dividing
28the estimated weight of home-generated sharps collected in the
29calendar year by the estimated weight of home-generated sharps
30sold in the previous calendar year.

end insert
begin delete

31(a)

end delete

32begin insert(b)end insert “Consumer” means a person that purchases or owns
33home-generated sharps.

begin delete

34(b)

end delete

35begin insert(c)end insert “Distributor” means a person that sells sharps or provides
36sharps for free to the general public for home use, which may
37include, but is not limited to, a retailer, a veterinarian, or a health
38clinic, health dispensary, or health facility licensed under Division
392 (commencing with Section 1200) of the Health and Safety Code.

begin delete

40(c)

end delete

P6    1begin insert(d)end insert “Home-generated sharps” means hypodermic needles,
2syringes with needles attached, pen needles, intravenous needles,
3begin insert lancets, end insert or any other similar device intended to self-inject
4medication at home.

begin insert

5(e) “Home-generated sharps stewardship plan” or “plan”
6means a plan submitted by an individual producer or by a
7stewardship organization on behalf of one or more producers.

end insert
begin insert

8(f) “Producer” means, with regard to home-generated sharps
9 that are sold, offered for sale, or distributed in the state, one of
10the following:

end insert
begin insert

11(1) The person who manufactures home-generated sharps and
12who sells, offers for sale, or distributes those home-generated
13sharps in the state under that person’s own name or brand.

end insert
begin insert

14(2) If there is no person who sells, offers for sale, or distributes
15home-generated sharps in the state under the person’s own name
16or brand, the producer of the home-generated sharps is the owner
17or licensee of a trademark or brand under which the
18home-generated sharps are sold or distributed in the state, whether
19or not the trademark is registered.

end insert
begin insert

20(3) If there is no person who is a producer of the sharps for
21purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2), the producer of those sharps
22is the person who imports the home-generated sharps into the state
23for sale or distribution.

end insert
begin delete

24(d)

end delete

25begin insert(g)end insert “Program” means the program implementing an approved
26home-generated sharps stewardship plan.

begin delete

27(e)

end delete

28begin insert(h)end insert “Retailer” means a person that sells home-generated sharps
29in the state to a consumer. A sale includes, but is not limited to, a
30transaction conducted through sales outlets, catalogs, or the Internet
31or any other similar electronic means.

begin delete

32(f)

end delete

33begin insert(i)end insert “Stewardship organization” means a nonprofit organization
34created by one or more producers that also includes at least four
35additional members, who shall be representatives from each of the
36following entities, but not more than one representative per entity,
37to the extent that the other entities do not have a representative:

38(1) A local government.

39(2) A distributor.

40(3) A solid waste hauler.

P7    1(4) A consumer health organizationbegin delete that will implement the
2home-generated sharps stewardship planend delete
.

begin delete

3(g) “Home-generated sharps stewardship plan” or “plan” means
4a plan submitted by an individual producer or by a stewardship
5organization on behalf of one or more producers.

6(h) “Producer” means, with regard to home-generated sharps
7that are sold, offered for sale, or distributed in the state, one of the
8 following:

9(1) The person who manufactures home-generated sharps and
10who sells, offers for sale, or distributes those home-generated
11sharps in the state under that person’s own name or brand.

12(2) If there is no person who sells, offers for sale, or distributes
13home-generated sharps in the state under the person’s own name
14or brand, the producer of the home-generated sharps is the owner
15or licensee of a trademark or brand under which the
16home-generated sharps are sold or distributed in the state, whether
17or not the trademark is registered.

18(3) If there is no person who is a producer of the sharps for
19purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2), the producer of those sharps
20is the person who imports the home-generated sharps into the state
21for sale or distribution.

22(i)

end delete

23begin insert(j)end insert “Stakeholder” means a person that is subject to, or will
24participate in, the program that will be implemented by a proposed
25home-generated sharps stewardship plan, including, but not limited
26to, consumers, retailers, distributors, and health care providers and
27facilities.

begin insert
28

begin insert47116.end insert  

A pharmaceutical manufacturer that sells or distributes
29a medication in the state that is usually intended to be self-injected
30at home through the use of a home-generated sharp shall submit,
31on or before July 1, 2010, and annually thereafter, to the
32department, or its successor agency, a plan that describes how the
33manufacturer supports the safe collection and proper disposal of
34the home-generated sharps.

end insert
begin delete
35

47117.  

(a) A producer or retailer shall not sell or offer for sale
36in this state home-generated sharps to a person in this state unless
37the producer of those home-generated sharps is in compliance with
38this article.

39(b) The sales prohibition specified in subdivision (a) shall apply
40no earlier than 120 days after the date that the department posts
P8    1on its Internet Web site a list of producers for which the department
2has approved a plan pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a)
3of Section 47121.

4(c) The sales prohibition specified in subdivision (a) shall apply
5until the producer of the home-generated sharps is listed as
6compliant on the department’s Internet Web site or demonstrates
7compliance pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 47122.

end delete
8

begin delete47118.end delete
9begin insert47117.end insert  

(a) On or before April 1, 2015, a producer or a
10stewardship organization designated by the producer shall submit
11a home-generated sharps stewardship plan to the department. The
12home-generated sharps stewardship plan shall also be posted on
13the Internet Web site of the producer or stewardship organization.
14The plan shall provide for the implementation of the plan for each
15calendar year, commencing January 1, 2016.

16(b) The producer, group of producers, or stewardship
17organization shall consult with stakeholders during the
18development of the home-generated sharps stewardship plan,
19including soliciting stakeholder comments and responding to
20stakeholder comments, and shall document those comments in the
21plan.

22(c) The home-generated sharps stewardship plan shall provide
23for the development and implementation of a recovery program
24to reduce the generation of, and manage the end of life of,
25home-generated sharps, in an environmentally sound and medically
26safe manner, including collecting, transporting, processing, and
27disposing. The plan shall include, at a minimum, all of the
28following elements:

29(1) Contact information for all participating producers.

30(2) Procedures for calculating the collection rate for the
31 home-generated sharps subject to the plan, which shall be
32determined using, as a baseline, the number of home-generated
33sharps collected by all producers subject to the plan, by weight,
34during the 2014 calendar year, as compared to the average number
35of home-generated sharps that are sold in the state during the 2013
36calendar year by producers that are subject to the plan.

37(3) Provisions to meet the minimum collection rate for the
38home-generated sharps subject to the plan, which shall be
39determined in the following manner:

P9    1(A) On and after January 1, 2016, the minimum collection rate
2shall bebegin delete _____end deletebegin insert 25end insert percentbegin delete of the averageend deletebegin insert above the baselineend insert number
3of home-generated sharps that are sold in the state duringbegin delete the
4previous three calendar years by the producers who are subject to
5the plan.end delete
begin insert the 2014 calendar year, as established by the department
6pursuant to paragraph (2).end insert

7(B) On and after January 1, 2017, the minimum collection rate
8shall bebegin delete _____end deletebegin insert 20end insert percent of thebegin delete averageend delete number of home-generated
9sharps that are sold in the state during the previousbegin delete threeend delete calendar
10begin delete yearsend deletebegin insert yearend insert by the producers who are subject to the plan.

11(C) On and after January 1, 2018, and annually thereafter, the
12collection rate shall be determined pursuant to Sectionbegin delete 47120.end delete
13begin insert 47119.end insert

14(4) (A) A demonstration of sufficient funding for the
15home-generated sharps stewardship program proposed by the plan,
16including a funding mechanism for securing and dispersing funds
17to cover administrative, operational, and capital costs.

18(B) The plan shall require the producer, and not consumers, to
19be responsible for implementing the home-generated sharps
20stewardship program.

21(C) The plan shall require that any surplus funds provided to
22implement the home-generated sharps stewardship program be
23used only to implement the program.

24(5) Coordinate the home-generated sharps stewardship program
25with existing local medical waste collection programs, to the extent
26this requirement is reasonably feasible and mutually agreeable by
27those programs.

28(6) Programs to reduce the number of postconsumer sharps that
29are illegally disposed of, and to maximize the proper end-of-life
30management of home-generated sharps, including the collection
31of home-generated sharps, as practical, based on current medical
32 waste program information.

33(7) Education and outreach efforts for consumers, the medical
34community, and retailers that would promote the collection of
35home-generated sharps. This information may include, but is not
36limited to, developing, and updating as necessary, educational and
37other outreach materials aimed at all retailers and distributors of
38home-generated sharps. These materials shall be made available
39to those parties and may include, but are not limited to, one or
40more of the following:

P10   1(A) Signage that is prominently displayed and easily visible to
2the consumer.

3(B) Written materials and templates of materials for reproduction
4by retailers to be provided to the consumer at the time of purchase
5or delivery, or both. These written materials shall include
6information on the prohibition of the improper disposal of
7home-generated sharps.

8(C) Advertising or other promotional materials, or both, that
9include references to home-generated sharps collection
10opportunities and the prohibition on the improper disposal of
11home-generated sharps.

12(8) Methods for demonstrating to the department that the
13program implemented pursuant to the plan achieves the maximum
14improvement possible in achieving the minimum collection rate.

15(9) The establishment of at least one home-generated sharps
16collection point in every county in the state, but no less than one
17home-generated sharps collection point for every 5,000 people in
18 the state.

19

begin delete47119.end delete
20begin insert47118.end insert  

A retailer may voluntarily participate as a
21home-generated sharps collection point pursuant to the
22home-generated sharps stewardship program.

23

begin delete47120.end delete
24begin insert47119.end insert  

On or before January 1, 2018, the department shall
25consult with producers, stewardship organizations, local
26government, solid waste haulers, the health community, and all
27other stakeholders regarding the program performance. The
28department shall set a fair and reasonable minimum collection rate
29for the 2018 calendar year and for each subsequent calendar year
30to achieve the goal of safely managing all home-generated sharps
31in this state.

32

begin delete47121.end delete
33begin insert47120.end insert  

(a) The department shall review a home-generated
34sharps stewardship plan submitted pursuant to Sectionbegin delete 47118end deletebegin insert 47117end insert
35 within 90 days of receipt. The department shall approve the plan
36if the department determines the plan provides for the establishment
37of a home-generated sharps stewardship program that meets the
38requirements of Sectionbegin delete 47118.end deletebegin insert 47117.end insert If the department does not
39approve the plan, the department shall allow the producer or
P11   1stewardship organization to resubmit the plan within 90 days after
2receiving notice of disapproval from the department.

3(b) (1) The approved plan shall be a public record, except that
4financial, production, or sales data reported to the department by
5a producer or by the stewardship organization is not a public record
6under the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing
7with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government
8Code) and shall not be open to public inspection.

9(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the department may release
10a summary form of financial, production, or sales data if the
11department does not disclose financial, production, or sales data
12of a producer or stewardship organization.

13(c) On or beforebegin delete_____ ,end deletebegin insert July 1, 2015,end insert or three months after a
14plan is approved pursuant to subdivision (a), whichever is later,
15but no later than January 1, 2016, the producer or stewardship
16organization shall implement the home-generated sharps
17stewardship program described in the approved plan.

18

begin delete47122.end delete
19begin insert47121.end insert  

(a) (1) On January 1, 2016, or upon the date the first
20plan is approved, whichever is earlier, the department shall post
21on its Internet Web site a list of producers for which the department
22has approved a plan pursuant to subdivision (a) of Sectionbegin delete 42121.end delete
23begin insert 42120. end insert The department shall update this posting no less than once
24every six months thereafter.

25 (2) On and after July 1, 2016, the department shall post a notice
26on its Internet Web site listing producers that are in compliance
27with this article and shall update this posting no less than once
28every six months.

29(b) A producer that is not listed on the department’s Internet
30Web site pursuant to this section, but that demonstrates to the
31satisfaction of the department that it is in compliance with this
32chapter before the next notice is required to be posted pursuant to
33this section, may request a certification letter from the department
34stating that the producer is in compliance. The producer who
35receives that letter shall be deemed to be in compliance with this
36chapter.

37(c) A wholesaler, health facility, as defined in Section 1250 of
38the Health and Safety Code, retailer, or other distributor that
39distributes or sells home-generated sharps shall monitor the
40department’s Internet Web site to determine if the sale of a
P12   1producer’s home-generated sharps is in compliance with this
2chapter.

3

begin delete47123.end delete
4begin insert47122.end insert  

On or before April 1, 2017, and every subsequent year
5thereafter, each producer or sharps stewardship organization
6implementing a plan shall prepare and submit to the department
7an annual report describing the activities carried out pursuant to
8the plan during the previous calendar year, commencing with the
92016 calendar year. The annual report shall include, but is not
10limited to, all of the following elements:

11(a) The number of home-generated sharps collected by the
12program in the previous calendar year and the collection rate
13achieved in the previous calendar year.

14(b) A report of the total sales data for sharps sold to distributors
15in the state for the previous calendar year.

16(c) A report on the feedback from a stakeholders’ meeting, that
17shall be hosted by the producers subject to the plan and made
18available by Webcast, prior to submittal of the annual report.

19(d) Independently audited financial statements that detail the
20financing method selected to sustainably fund the implementation
21of the plan to achieve the minimum collection rates described in
22the plan, pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section
23begin delete47118.end deletebegin insert 47117.end insert

24(e) Examples and descriptions of educational materials
25distributed to various stakeholders aimed at increasing collection.

26(f) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the program specific
27to collection, public awareness, convenience, and reduced improper
28disposal associated with both legal and illegal drug use.

29(g) Any programmatic changes the producer or the stewardship
30organization recommends based on new data provided in the report.

31(h) The location, hours, and contact information for all
32home-generated sharps collection points established pursuant to
33the plan, including a certification that this information is accurate,
34that a home-generated sharps collection point has been established
35in every county in the state, and that the number of home-generated
36sharps collection points is equal to at least one for everybegin delete 5,000end delete
37begin insert 25,000 end insert people in the state.

38

begin delete47124.end delete
39begin insert47123.end insert  

(a) The department shall review the annual report
40submitted pursuant to Sectionbegin delete 47123,end deletebegin insert 47122,end insert including reviewing
P13   1the accuracy of the list of home-generated sharps collection points
2that are certified to be established pursuant to the plan, and the
3data used to determine the collection rate, including sales and
4collection data. The department shall also determine whether all
5of the elements specified in subdivisions (a) to (h), inclusive, of
6Sectionbegin delete 47123end deletebegin insert 47122end insert are included in the report.

7(b) If the annual report does not demonstrate that the program
8has achieved a collection rate increasebegin delete of ___ percent,end deletebegin insert pursuant
9to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 47117,end insert
the
10department may require the program to take additional actions
11with regard to improving and increasing the number of
12home-generated sharps collection points, ensuring accessibility to
13those points, and providing additional education and outreach
14activities.

15(c) If the department does not disapprove a report within 45
16days of receipt, the report shall be deemed approved by the
17department.

18(d) The department shall make all reports submitted to the
19department pursuant to this section available to the public on the
20department’s Internet Web site.

21

begin delete47125.end delete
22begin insert47124.end insert  

If the department determines that the collection rate for
23the home-generated sharps subject to a plan meets 95 percent, the
24department may exempt a producer or stewardship organization
25from any or all of the elements required to be included in the annual
26report specified in Sectionbegin delete 47123.end deletebegin insert 47122.end insert

27

begin delete47126.end delete
28begin insert47125.end insert  

(a) A producer or stewardship organization submitting
29a plan to the department shall pay the department an annual
30administrative fee pursuant to subdivision (b).

31(b) The department shall impose the annual fee in an amount
32that is sufficient to cover the department’s full costs of
33administering and enforcing this article, including any program
34development costs or regulatory costs incurred by the department
35prior to the submittal of the plan. The department shall deposit the
36fees in the Safe Sharps Disposal Account, which is hereby
37established in the Integrated Waste Management Fund. The
38department may expend the moneys in the Safe Sharps Disposal
39Account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to administer and
40enforce this article.

P14   1

begin delete47127.end delete
2begin insert47126.end insert  

(a) The department shall enforce this article and may
3impose an administrative civil penalty on a person who violates
4this article in an amount of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000)
5per violation per day.

6(b) The department may impose an administrative civil penalty
7on a person who intentionally, knowingly, or negligently violates
8this article in an amount of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000)
9per violation per day.

10(c) (1) The department may impose the civil penalty specified
11in subdivision (a) or (b) on a producer or stewardship organization
12for which the annual report submitted does not demonstrate that
13thebegin delete ____ percentend delete minimum collection rate has beenbegin delete achieved.end delete
14begin insert achieved pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 47123.end insert In lieu of
15imposing a civil penalty, the department may require a producer
16or stewardship organization to take additional actions to comply
17with this article.

18(2) In assessing a penalty pursuant to this subdivision on a
19producer or stewardship organization, the department shall consider
20any exigent circumstance that contributed to the producer or
21stewardship organization not meeting the required minimum
22collection rate.

23(d) The department shall deposit all penalties collected pursuant
24to this section into the Safe Sharps Disposal Penalty Account,
25which is hereby created in the Integrated Waste Management Fund.
26Upon appropriation by the Legislature, moneys deposited into the
27Safe Sharps Disposal Penalty Account may be expended by the
28department to enforce this article.

29

begin delete47129.end delete
30begin insert47127.end insert  

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), an action
31solely to increase the collection of home-generated sharps by a
32producer, stewardship organization, or retailer that affects the types
33or quantities being collected, or the cost and structure of any
34program implementing a stewardship plan, is not a violation of
35the statutes specified in subdivision (b).

36(b) The following statutes are not violated by an action specified
37in subdivision (a):

38(1) The Cartwright Act (Chapter 2 (commencing with Section
3916700) of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions
40Code).

P15   1(2) The Unfair Practices Act (Chapter 4 (commencing with
2Section 17000) of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and
3Professions Code).

4(c) Subdivision (a) shall not apply tobegin delete anyend deletebegin insert anend insert agreement
5establishing or affecting the price of home-generated sharps or the
6output or production of home-generatedbegin delete sharps, or anyend deletebegin insert sharps or
7anend insert
agreement restricting the geographic area or customers to which
8home-generated sharps will be sold.



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