BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
1173 (Huffman)
Hearing Date: 08/17/2009 Amended: 07/23/2009
Consultant: Brendan McCarthy Policy Vote: EQ 4-2
AB 1173 (Huffman)
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BILL SUMMARY: This bill requires manufacturers and retailers of
compact fluorescent light bulbs that receive funding from
electricity ratepayers to develop and implement recycling
programs for those light bulbs.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
Waste Board review and $20 $40 $40 Special
*
Enforcement
* Integrated Waste Management Account. Fully offset by fees.
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STAFF COMMENTS:
Current law establishes a public goods charge that consumers pay
on electricity consumption for cost-effective energy efficiency,
renewable energy technologies, and public interest research. In
addition, over the next three years, the state's utilities
propose to spend about $45 million per year in electricity
ratepayer funds to subsidize the cost of compact fluorescent
light bulbs (CFLs). While CFLs are more energy efficient than
traditional incandescent light bulbs, they also contain mercury
and thus are classified as hazardous waste.
This bill generally requires manufacturers and retailers of CFLs
that receive funding from the public goods charge or other
ratepayer funds to implement programs to recycle them.
In order to receive ratepayer funds, manufacturers and retailers
must: 1) ensure that their CFLs meet Energy Star or higher
efficiency ratings; 2) participate in a recycling program,
either individually or collectively; and 3) label their CFLs
with information about recycling options. In addition, the bill
requires retailers who receive ratepayer funds to operate
in-store recycling programs.
The bill requires the Integrated Waste Management Board (Waste
AB 1173 (Huffman)
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Board) to post on its website a list of manufacturers that are
not in compliance with the bill. Retailers would be responsible
to monitor the list to ensure that they only sell subsidized
CFLs from manufacturers that are in compliance.
Pursuant to the requirement that manufacturers participate in a
recycling program, they are obligated to establish a recycling
program that is sufficiently funded, is free and convenient to
consumers, and includes education and outreach to consumers.
Manufacturers will be required to file annual reports with the
Waste Board including specified information on the operation of
the recycling program.
The Waste Board is required to review the reports and certify
that the manufacturers are in compliance with the requirements
of the bill. The Waste Board is charged with enforcing the
provisions of the bill. The Waste Board is also authorized to
establish administrative fees on manufacturers to pay for its
costs to review the plans and enforce the requirements of the
bill. The Waste Board indicates it will require one half-time
position to review annual reports and enforce the provisions of
the bill.