BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 497
AUTHOR: Correa
INTRODUCED: February 26, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: April 1, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber
NOTE : This bill has been referred to the Committees on
Education and Environmental Quality. A "do pass" motion
should include referral to the Committee on Environmental
Quality.
SUBJECT : School Recycling Programs
SUMMARY
This bill requires school districts to consult with the
local Community Conservation Corps or another recycler to
obtain information in order to establish a beverage
container recycling program.
BACKGROUND
Current law:
1) Requires the Integrated Waste Management Board (IWMB)
to develop and implement a source reduction and
recycling program for school districts that includes
model programs, training, technical assistance, and
locating markets for recyclable materials.
2) Encourages each school district to establish and
maintain a paper recycling program and requires the
IWMB, in conjunction with at least the California
Department of Education to, among other things,
develop and distribute curriculum material relating to
paper recycling, conservation of resources, and topics
relating to the implementation of a paper recycling
program.
3) Provides for the Beverage Container Recycling and
Litter Reduction Act, administered by the California
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Department of Conservation. This act governs the
recycling of California Redemption Value beverage
containers. The purpose of this program is to provide
beverage recycling containers to eligible applicants,
including schools and colleges. According to the
Department of Conservation's website, $1.5 million was
available for this purpose in the 2008-09 fiscal year.
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires school districts to consult with the
local Community Conservation Corps or another recycler to
obtain information in order to establish a beverage
container recycling program. Specifically, this bill:
1) Requires a school district, only to the extent that it
does not incur costs, to consult with the local
Community Conservation corps or another recycler to
obtain information in order to establish a beverage
container recycling program at each school campus and
public office of that school district.
2) Authorizes beverage container recycling program
services to be provided in a manner determined by the
district, as long as it is consistent with the
Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act.
3) Requires the Integrated Waste Management Board and
Department of Conservation to provide a school
district, upon the request of a district, with
information and supplies, as specified.
4) Authorizes the Integrated Waste Management Board and
the Department of Conservation, upon the request of a
school district and subject to the availability of
funds, to provide a school district with a sufficient
number of beverage container recycling bins to meet
the estimated need of the campus or office to be
served.
5) Authorizes a school district to enter into an
agreement or partnership with a pubic agency, private
sector, or non-profit entity to obtain all or part of
the supplies and information necessary for
participation in a beverage container recycling
program.
6) Authorizes the proceeds from beverage container
recycling to be used, at the discretion of the school
district governing board, for all of the following:
a) Reimbursement for the initial cost of
acquiring beverage container recycling bins.
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b) For transfers to a participating school's or
district's discretionary fund.
c) For other costs, including the cost of
personnel associated with the maintenance of the
beverage container recycling bins.
7) Sunsets these provisions on January 1, 2012.
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STAFF COMMENTS
1) Mandate and fiscal impact . This bill imposes a
mandate and could create costs for school districts.
While it is possible for schools to operate a
recycling program and sustain a profit, districts
could incur initial costs to supply schools with
recycle bins and administration of the program. This
bill requires districts to obtain information about
establishing a beverage container recycling program
only to the extent that the district does not incur
costs.
This bill authorizes the Integrated Waste Management Board
and Department of Conservation to provide districts
with beverage container recycling bins, subject to the
availability of funds. Bins from the Department of
Conservation could cost $30 - $40 each. It is
doubtful that the Department of Conservation can
currently absorb the costs of providing "sufficient"
bins, or even one bin, for each school campus and
district office. Incurring the costs of these bins
would certainly be difficult for many school
districts.
According to Assembly Appropriations Committee analysis of
a nearly identical bill from last session, that bill
would have imposed:
a) General Fund cost pressure, likely between
$150,000 and $300,000, to the Integrated Waste
Management Board and Department of Conservation
to provide beverage recycling bins to school
districts, upon request.
b) General Fund administrative costs, likely
between $200,000 and $300,000, to the Integrated
Waste Management Board to hire staff to provide
information and supplies to school districts, as
required by this measure.
2) Prior legislation . This bill is similar to SB 1321
(Correa, 2008), which passed this Committee on a 7-0
vote on April 2, 2008. SB 1321 was held on Assembly
Appropriations Committee's suspense file.
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SUPPORT
American Chemistry Council
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
California State Association of Counties
OPPOSITION
None received.