BILL ANALYSIS
AB 747
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Date of Hearing: May 5, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Anthony Portantino, Chair
AB 747 (Emmerson) - As Amended: May 4, 2009
SUBJECT : School facilities: recycling programs.
SUMMARY : Expands existing law that allows and encourages each
campus of a school district, the University of California (UC),
the California State University (CSU), and the California
Community Colleges (CCC) to establish and maintain a paper
recycling program to include a beverage container recycling
program. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes various findings and declarations regarding the
importance of beverage container recycling.
2)Deletes the term "California State University and Colleges"
and inserts "University of California, California State
University, and the California Community Colleges".
3)Establishes definitions of "beverage container" and "beverage
container recycling program" consistent with uses of the terms
in other areas of existing law.
4)Allows and encourages the placement of beverage container
recycling in all classrooms, administrative offices, and other
areas owned or leased by a school district, UC, CSU, and CCC
campus where a significant quantity of beverage containers is
generated or may be collected.
5)Provides that in establishing beverage container recycling
programs, each UC, CSU, and CCC campus and school district is
required to attempt to cooperate with existing beverage
container recycling programs.
6)Provides that nothing in this law shall limit or supersede any
other requirements of law imposing a beverage container
recycling program on school districts or UC, CSU, and CCC
campuses.
EXISTING LAW authorizes and encourages school districts and
California universities and colleges to establish and maintain
paper recycling programs.
AB 747
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FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS : Dual referral : This bill was heard and approved by
the Assembly Education Committee on April 22, 2009.
Purpose of this bill : According to the author, this bill would
enhance existing law by encouraging school districts and UC,
CSU, and CCC campuses to establish and maintain beverage
container recycling programs in an effort to encourage our youth
to be responsible stewards of our environment. This bill will
also encourage each school district and UC, CSU, and CCC to
cooperate with existing beverage container recycling programs
within their community.
Existing community recycling programs : Local Community
Conservation Corps (LCCCs) are non-profit organizations with the
mission of providing youth aged 18 to 23 with one-year
non-residential program experiences that emphasize work,
education, skill building, and community service. Through
grants from the funds collected by the Beverage Container
Recycling Program, LCCCs provide beverage recycling bins and
collection services to businesses, schools, and multifamily
housing dwellings at no charge.
Existing campus recycling efforts : CSU approaches recycling on
a campus level, believing that waste recycling is a local issue
and CSU local campuses have the authority to address the issue.
There are recycling coordinators at each campus and according to
the CSU Chancellor's Office several CSU campuses have won
national awards for their recycling efforts. UC maintains a
systemwide policy on sustainable practices which includes, among
other requirements, provisions for recycling and waste
management. Additionally, numerous UC, CSU, and CCC campuses
have established individual campus recycling programs. For
example, Humboldt State University maintains a student-run
recycling program that, in addition to recycling, includes a
composting and office supply exchange component. UC San Diego,
which has established a goal of becoming a zero waste campus by
2020, maintains a single-bin recycling program that allows all
designated recyclables to be placed in any campus recycling
container. Santa Monica CCC District maintains a recycling
program that includes the placement of beverage container
recycling receptacles in various campus locations. As numerous
campuses have on their own established comprehensive recycling
AB 747
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programs the author and the committee may wish to consider
whether legislation encouraging campus beverage recycling
programs is necessary.
Related Legislation : SB 497 (Correa), which is currently
pending in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, requires
school districts to consult with LCCCs or other recycler to
obtain information in order to establish a beverage container
recycling program. SB 1321 (Correa) of 2008 was held on the
Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file, was
substantially similar to SB 497.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960