BILL ANALYSIS
AB 903
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 903 (Chesbro)
As Introduced February 26, 2009
Majority vote
NATURAL RESOURCES 7-1 ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
7-0
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|Ayes:|Skinner, Gilmore, |Ayes:|Chesbro, Miller, Davis, |
| |Brownley, Chesbro, De | |Feuer, Monning, Ruskin, |
| |Leon, Hill, Logue | |Smyth |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Knight | | |
| | | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 15-1
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|Ayes:|De Leon, Nielsen, | | |
| |Ammiano, Charles | | |
| |Calderon, Davis, Duvall, | | |
| |Krekorian, Hall, Harkey, | | |
| |Miller, John A. Perez, | | |
| |Price, Skinner, Solorio, | | |
| |Torlakson, | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Audra Strickland | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires state agencies to include information on
electronic waste (e-waste) reduction and disposal in their
annual report to the California Integrated Waste Management
Board (CIWMB) relating to solid waste reduction.
EXISTING LAW , pursuant to the California Integrated Waste
Management Act of 1989, requires state agencies to divert at
least 50% of all solid waste from landfill disposal and
transformation by January 1, 2004 and requires all state
agencies to submit an annual report to CIWMB summarizing their
progress in diverting solid waste.
AB 903
Page 2
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, this bill has minor and absorbable state costs to
state agencies that submit the report.
COMMENTS : In November 2008, the California State Auditor
released a report entitled Electronic Waste: Some State
Agencies Have Discarded Their Electronic Waste Improperly, While
State and Local Oversight is Limited (Report Number 2008-112).
In addition to containing lead, e-waste can contain other toxic
materials such as cadmium, chromium, and mercury. The State
Auditor determined that two of the five agencies subject to the
audit, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Employment
Development Department, discarded 26 electronic devices in the
trash. The other three, the California Highway Patrol, the
Department of Transportation, and the Department of Justice, did
not identify how electronic devices were disposed, but all three
indicated that their practices included placing a total of more
than 350 devices in the trash.
State regulations require waste generators to determine whether
their waste, including e-waste, is hazardous before disposal.
However, none of the five agencies could demonstrate that they
made this determination. The report found that there is
inadequate information provided to state agencies on proper
management of e-waste. Additionally, the audit found that the
agencies were inconsistent in their reporting on e-waste
diverted from landfills. Moreover, because e-waste is not
classified as solid waste, it is not currently required to be
included in agencies' annual report to CIWMB.
The report states, "If the Legislature believes that state
agencies should track more accurately the amounts of e-waste
they generate, recycle, and discard, we recommend it consider
imposing a requirement that agencies do so." This bill
implements this recommendation.
Analysis Prepared by : Elizabeth MacMillan / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092
FN: 0000700