BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                AB 744
                                                                       

                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
                              Senator Jerry Hill, Chair
                              2013-2014 Regular Session
                                           
           BILL NO:    AB 744
           AUTHOR:     Gordon
           AMENDED:    April 1, 2013
           FISCAL:     Yes               HEARING DATE:  June 19, 2013
           URGENCY:    No                CONSULTANT:      Rebecca Newhouse
            
           SUBJECT  :    BEVERAGE CONTAINER RECYCLING: REDEMPTION RATE

            SUMMARY  :    
                       
            Existing law  , under the California Beverage Container Recycling  
           and Litter Reduction Act (the Act):

           1) Requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery  
              (DRRR) to establish reporting periods of six months each for  
              redemption rates and recycling rates for specified types of  
              beverage containers.  (Public Resources Code §14551).

           2) Requires DRRR to determine the redemption rates and  
              recycling rates for those beverage containers for each  
              reporting period and to issue a report on those  
              determinations.  (PRC §14551). 

            This bill  :  

           1) Deletes the provisions that require the establishment of  
              reporting periods and calculations for redemption rates for  
              beverage containers.  

           2) Deletes the definition of "redemption rate" and makes other  
              conforming changes. 

            COMMENTS  :

            1) Purpose of Bill  .  According to the author, AB 744 removes  
              obsolete calculation and reporting requirements. 

            2) Background  .  The requirement for calculating both recycling  
              and redemption rates for aluminum, glass, plastic, and other  









                                                                AB 744
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              container materials has been in statute since 1986.  Unlike  
              the recycling rate, the redemption rate includes containers  
              not covered under the Act, and was used in the early years  
              of the program as a trigger for higher fees. However, that  
              trigger was removed in SB 332 (Sher), Chapter 322, Statutes  
              of 1999.  The remaining recycling rate calculation is  
              adequate to determine the numbers and types of containers  
              returned for recycling.

            SOURCE  :        Assemblymember Gordon  

           SUPPORT  :       Californians Against Waste  

           OPPOSITION  :    None on file