Chapter 7 - Financial Provisions

California Public Resources Code — §§ 14580-14587

Sections (10)

Amended by Stats. 2010, 8th Ex. Sess., Ch. 5, Sec. 4. (AB 7 8x) Effective March 8, 2010.

(a)Except as provided in subdivision (d), the department shall deposit all amounts paid as redemption payments by distributors pursuant to Section 14574 and all other revenues received into the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, the money in the fund is hereby continuously appropriated to the department for expenditure without regard to fiscal year for the following purposes:

(1)The payment of refund values and administrative fees to processors pursuant to Section 14573.

(2)For a reserve for contingencies, which shall not be greater than an amount equal to 5 percent of the total amount paid to processors pursuant to Section 14573 during the preceding

calendar year, plus the interest earned on that amount.

(b)The money in the fund may be expended by the department for the administration of this division only upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act.

(c)After setting aside funds estimated to be needed for expenditures authorized pursuant to this section, the department shall set aside funds on a quarterly basis for the purposes specified in Section 14581. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, that money is hereby continuously appropriated to the department, without regard to fiscal year, for the purposes specified in Section 14581.

(d)The department shall deposit all civil penalties or fines collected pursuant to this division into the Penalty Account, which is hereby created in the fund. The money in the Penalty Account may be expended by the department only upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of this division.

(e)The Legislature finds and declares that the maintenance of the fund is of the utmost importance to the state and that it is essential that any money in the fund be used solely for the purposes authorized in this division and should not be used, loaned, or transferred for any other purpose.

§ 14581

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 627, Sec. 3. (AB 899) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)Subject to the availability of funds and in accordance with subdivision (b), the department shall expend the moneys set aside in the fund, pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 14580, for the purposes of this section in the following manner:

(1)For each fiscal year, the department may expend the amount necessary to make the required handling fee payment pursuant to Section 14585.

(2)Fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) shall be expended annually for payments for curbside programs and neighborhood dropoff programs pursuant to Section 14549.6.

(3)(A) Ten million five hundred thousand dollars ($10,500,000)

may be expended annually for payments of five thousand dollars ($5,000) to cities and ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for payments to counties for beverage container recycling and litter cleanup activities, or the department may calculate the payments to counties and cities on a per capita basis, and may pay whichever amount is greater, for those activities.

(B)Eligible activities for the use of these funds may include, but are not necessarily limited to, support for new or existing curbside programs, neighborhood dropoff programs, public education promoting beverage container recycling, litter prevention, and cleanup, cooperative regional efforts among two or more cities or counties, or both, or other beverage container recycling programs.

(C)These funds shall

not be used for activities unrelated to beverage container recycling or litter reduction.

(D)To receive these funds, a city, county, or city and county shall fill out and return a funding request form to the department. The form shall specify the beverage container recycling or litter reduction activities for which the funds will be used.

(E)The department shall annually prepare and distribute a funding request form to each city, county, or city and county. The form shall specify the amount of beverage container recycling and litter cleanup funds for which the jurisdiction is eligible. The form shall not exceed one double-sided page in length, and may be submitted electronically. If a city, county, or city and county does not return the funding request form within 90 days of receipt

of the form from the department, the city, county, or city and county is not eligible to receive the funds for that funding cycle.

(F)For the purposes of this paragraph, per capita population shall be based on the population of the incorporated area of a city or city and county and the unincorporated area of a county. The department may withhold payment to any city, county, or city and county that has prohibited the siting of a supermarket site, caused a supermarket site to close its business, or adopted a land use policy that restricts or prohibits the siting of a supermarket site within its jurisdiction.

(4)One million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) may be expended annually in the form of grants for beverage container recycling and litter reduction programs.

(5)(A) The department shall expend the amount necessary to pay the processing payment established pursuant to Section 14575. The department shall establish separate processing fee accounts in the fund for each beverage container material type for which a processing payment and processing fee are calculated pursuant to Section 14575, or for which a processing payment is calculated pursuant to Section 14575 and a voluntary artificial scrap value is calculated pursuant to Section 14575.1, into which account shall be deposited both of the following:

(i)All amounts paid as processing fees for each beverage container material type pursuant to Section 14575.

(ii) Funds equal to the difference between the amount

in clause (i) and the amount of the processing payments established in subdivision (b) of Section 14575, and adjusted pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of, and subdivision (f) of, Section 14575, to reduce the processing fee to the level provided in subdivision (e) of Section 14575, or to reflect the agreement by a willing purchaser to pay a voluntary artificial scrap value pursuant to Section 14575.1.

(B) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, the moneys in each processing fee account are hereby continuously appropriated to the department for expenditure without regard to fiscal years, for purposes of making processing payments pursuant to Section 14575.

(6)Up to five million dollars ($5,000,000) may be expended annually by the department for

the purposes of undertaking a statewide public education and information campaign aimed at promoting increased recycling of beverage containers.

(7)Up to fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) may be expended annually by the department for quality incentive payments for empty glass beverage containers pursuant to Section 14549.1.

(8)(A) For the 2019–20 fiscal year to the 2025–26 fiscal year, inclusive, the department may expend funds for market development payments to reclaimers and product manufacturers, pursuant to Section 14549.2.

(B)For purposes of this paragraph, the definitions in subdivision (a) of Section 14549.2 apply.

(9)(A) For the 2019–20 fiscal year to the 2025–26 fiscal year, inclusive, the department may expend up to a total of five million dollars ($5,000,000) to support the pilot projects created pursuant to Section 14571.9.

(B)Taking into consideration the recent closure of many of California’s recycling centers, the Legislature finds and declares that the appropriation provided for in Chapter 793 of the Statutes of 2019 is necessary in order to ensure the continued support of, and to bolster, consumer redemption opportunities.

(10)The department may expend up to four million dollars ($4,000,000) annually for glass processing incentive grants authorized pursuant to Section 14543.

(11)The

department may expend up to four million dollars ($4,000,000) annually for empty glass beverage container grants authorized pursuant to Section 14544.

(12)The department may expend up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) annually for grants to facilitate the transportation of empty glass beverage containers authorized pursuant to Section 14545.

(13)(A) (i) The department may expend up to sixty million dollars ($60,000,000) annually for glass market development payments for glass authorized pursuant to Section 14549.7.

(ii) This subparagraph shall become inoperative on January 1, 2028.

(B)(i) Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 14580, upon appropriation by the Legislature specifically for purposes of this subparagraph, on and after January 1, 2028, the department may expend up to twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) annually for glass market development payments authorized pursuant to Section 14549.7.

(ii) This subparagraph shall become inoperative on January 1, 2030.

(b)(1) If the department determines, pursuant to a review made pursuant to Section 14556, that there may be inadequate funds to pay the payments required by this division, the department shall immediately notify the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature regarding the inadequacy.

(2)On

or before 180 days, but not less than 80 days, after the notice is sent pursuant to paragraph (1), the department may reduce or eliminate expenditures, or both, from the funds as necessary, according to the procedure set forth in subdivision (c).

(c)If the department determines that there are insufficient funds to make the payments specified pursuant to this section and Section 14575, the department shall reduce all payments proportionally.

(d)Before making an expenditure pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (a), the department shall convene an advisory committee consisting of representatives of the beverage industry, beverage container manufacturers, environmental organizations, the recycling industry, nonprofit organizations, and retailers to advise the department on the most

cost-effective and efficient method of the expenditure of the funds for that education and information campaign.

§ 14581.1

Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 35, Sec. 144. (SB 861) Effective June 20, 2014.

(a)The department shall expend in each fiscal year, from the moneys set aside in the fund pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 14580, twenty million nine hundred seventy-four thousand dollars ($20,974,000), plus the cost-of-living adjustment, as provided in subdivision (c), less fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000), in the form of grants for beverage container litter reduction programs and recycling programs, including education and outreach, issued to either of the following:

(1)Certified community conservation corps that were in existence on September 30, 1999, or that are formed subsequent to that date, that are designated by a city or a city and county to perform litter abatement, recycling,

and related activities, if the city or the city and county has a population, as determined by the most recent census, of more than 250,000 persons.

(2)Community conservation corps that are designated by a county to perform litter abatement, recycling, and related activities, and are certified by the California Conservation Corps as having operated for a minimum of two years and as meeting all other criteria of Section 14507.5.

(b)The grants provided pursuant to this section shall not comprise more than 75 percent of the annual budget of a community conservation corps.

(c)The amount of twenty million nine hundred seventy-four thousand dollars ($20,974,000) that is referenced in subdivision (a) is a base amount for the 2014–15 fiscal year, and the department shall adjust that amount annually to reflect any increases

or decreases in the cost of living as measured by the Department of Labor or a successor agency of the federal government.

(d)For the 2014–15 fiscal year only, the amount to be expended from the fund for the purposes specified in subdivision (a) shall be increased by seven million five hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000).

§ 14582

Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 753, Sec. 18. Effective January 1, 2004.

The Recycling Infrastructure Loan Guarantee Account is hereby created as a revolving account in the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund, and the funds in that account are continuously appropriated to the department to issue loan guarantees for capital expenditures for new recycling infrastructure located in the state. The department may issue a loan guarantee from the account only if the department determines that the new recycling infrastructure adds recycling capacity, results in remanufacturing and reuse of beverage containers into new products, and complies with all applicable laws and regulations.

§ 14583

Added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 576, Sec. 1. (AB 712) Effective January 1, 2012.

Notwithstanding Section 14581, on and after July 1, 2012, the department shall not make any payments, grants, or loans, as provided in that section, to a city, county, or city and county, if the city, county, or city and county has adopted or is enforcing a land use restriction that prevents the siting or operation of a certified recycling center at a supermarket site, as defined in Section 14526.6, as may be required pursuant to Section 14571.

§ 14584

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 710, Sec. 16. (AB 786) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)Operators of reverse vending machines or processors may apply to the Capital Programs and Climate Financing Authority for financing pursuant to Section 44526 of the Health and Safety Code, as a means of obtaining capital for establishment of a convenience network. For purposes of Section 44508 of the Health and Safety Code, “project” includes the establishing of a recycling location pursuant to the division.

(b)Corporations, companies, or individuals may apply for loan and grant funds from the Energy Technologies Research,

Development, and Demonstration Account specified in Section 25683 by applying to the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission for the purpose of demonstrating equipment for enhancing recycling opportunities.

§ 14585

Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 72, Sec. 41. (SB 156) Effective July 2, 2024.

(a)The department shall adopt guidelines and methods for paying handling fees to supermarket sites, nonprofit convenience zone recyclers, or rural region recyclers to provide an incentive for the redemption of empty beverage containers in convenience zones. The guidelines shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1)Handling fees shall be paid on a monthly basis, in the form and manner adopted by the department. The department shall require that claims for the handling fee be filed with the department not later than the first day of the second month following the month for which the handling fee is claimed as a condition of receiving any handling fee.

(2)The department shall

determine the number of eligible containers per site for which a handling fee will be paid in the following manner:

(A)Each eligible site’s combined monthly volume of glass and plastic beverage containers shall be divided by the site’s total monthly volume of all empty beverage container types.

(B)If the quotient determined pursuant to subparagraph (A) is equal to, or more than, 10 percent, the total monthly volume of the site shall be the maximum volume that is eligible for a handling fee for that month.

(C)If the quotient determined pursuant to subparagraph (A) is less than 10 percent, the department shall divide the volume of glass and plastic beverage containers by 10 percent. That quotient shall be the maximum volume that is eligible for a handling fee for that month.

(3)(A) On and after the effective date of the act amending this section during the

2023–24 Regular Session, and until June 30, 2026, the department shall pay a handling fee per eligible container in the amount determined pursuant to subdivisions (f) and (g).

(B)On and after July 1,

2026,

the department shall pay a handling fee per eligible container in the amount determined pursuant to subdivision (f).

(4)If the eligible volume in any given month would result in handling fee payments that exceed the allocation of funds for that month, as provided in subdivision (b), sites with higher eligible monthly volumes shall receive handling fees for their entire eligible monthly volume before sites with lower eligible monthly volumes receive any handling fees.

(5)(A) If a dealer where a supermarket site, nonprofit convenience zone recycler, or rural region recycler is located ceases operation for remodeling or for a change of ownership, the operator of that supermarket site, nonprofit convenience zone recycler, or rural region recycler shall be eligible to apply for handling fees for that site for a period of three months following

the date of the closure of the dealer.

(B)Every supermarket site operator, nonprofit convenience zone recycler, or rural region recycler shall promptly notify the department of the closure of the dealer where the supermarket site, nonprofit convenience zone recycler, or rural region recycler is located.

(C)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), any operator who fails to provide notification to the department pursuant to subparagraph (B) shall not be eligible to apply for handling fees.

(b)The department may allocate the amount authorized for expenditure for the payment of handling fees pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 14581 on a monthly basis and may carry over any unexpended monthly allocation to a subsequent month or months. However, unexpended monthly allocations shall not be carried over to a

subsequent fiscal year for the purpose of paying handling fees but may be carried over for any other purpose pursuant to Section 14581.

(c)(1) The department shall not make handling fee payments to more than one certified recycling center in a convenience zone. If a dealer is located in more than one convenience zone, the department shall offer a single handling fee payment to a supermarket site located at that dealer. This handling fee payment shall not be split between the affected zones. The department shall stop making handling fee payments if another recycling center certifies to operate within the convenience zone without receiving payments pursuant to this section, if the department monitors the performance of the other recycling center for 60 days and determines that the recycling center is in compliance with this division. Any recycling center that locates in a convenience zone, thereby causing a preexisting

recycling center to become ineligible to receive handling fee payments, is ineligible to receive any handling fee payments in that convenience zone.

(2)The department shall offer a single handling fee payment to a rural region recycler located anywhere inside a convenience zone, if that convenience zone is not served by another certified recycling center and the rural region recycler does either of the following:

(A)Operates a minimum of 30 hours per week in one convenience zone.

(B)Serves two or more convenience zones, and meets all of the following criteria:

(i)Is the only certified recycler within each convenience zone.

(ii) Is open and operating at least eight hours per week in

each convenience zone and is certified at each location.

(iii) Operates at least 30 hours per week in total for all convenience zones served.

(d)The department may require an operator of a supermarket site, or an operator of a rural region recycler, receiving handling fees to maintain records for each location where beverage containers are redeemed, and may require the supermarket site or rural region recycler to take any other action necessary for the department to determine that the supermarket site or rural region recycler does not receive an excessive handling fee.

(e)The department may determine and use a standard container per pound rate, for each material type, for purposes of calculating volumes and making handling fee payments.

(f)(1) On or before January 1, 2008, and every two years thereafter, the department shall conduct a survey pursuant to this subdivision of a statistically significant sample of handling fee payment recipients

to determine the actual cost incurred for the redemption of empty beverage containers by those handling fee payment recipients. The department shall conduct these cost surveys in conjunction with the cost surveys performed by the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 14575 to determine processing payments and processing fees. The department shall include, in determining the actual costs, only those allowable costs contained in the regulations adopted pursuant to this division that are used by the department to conduct cost surveys pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 14575.

(2)Using the information obtained pursuant to paragraph (1), the department shall then determine the statewide weighted

average cost incurred for the redemption of empty beverage containers, per empty beverage container, by handling fee payment recipients.

(3)Except as provided in subdivision (g), the department shall determine the amount of the handling fee to be paid for each empty beverage container as follows:

(A)Until June 30, 2027, and except as provided in subparagraph (B), the amount shall be determined using a methodology established by the department reflecting the cost of providing and maintaining recycling in convenience zones by handling fee recipients, including transportation, labor, volume, consumer convenience, and increasing recycling rates. The methodology may include tiered handling fee rates reflecting differing costs within convenience zones or regions based on respective volume or location. This subparagraph shall become inoperative on July 1, 2027.

(B)On and after June 30, 2026, and if the department has not established a method pursuant to subparagraph (A), the amount shall be determined by

subtracting the amount of the statewide weighted average cost per container to redeem empty beverage containers by handling fee payment recipients that do not receive handling fees from the amount of the statewide weighted average cost per container determined pursuant to paragraph (2).

(4)The department shall adjust the statewide average cost determined pursuant to paragraph (2) for each beverage container annually to reflect changes in the cost of living, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor or a successor agency of the United States government.

(5)The cost information collected pursuant to this section

for handling fee payment recipients shall not be used in the calculation of the processing payments determined pursuant to Section 14575.

(g)(1) On and after the effective date of the act amending this section during the 2023–24 Regular Session, and until June 30, 2026, the per-container handling fee shall not be less than the amount of the per-container handling fee that was in effect on July 1,

2023. If the effective date of the act amending this section during the

2023–24 Regular Session is after July 1, 2024, the department shall pay eligible handling fee payment recipients the difference between the handling fee in effect on July 1, 2024, and the handling fee that was in effect on July 1,

2023, so that the per-container handling fee for the 2025–26 fiscal year is no less than the handling fee that was in effect on July 1, 2023.

(2)The department shall adjust the handling fee established by this subdivision annually to reflect changes in the cost of living, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor or a successor agency of the United States government.

(h)(1) The department shall adopt emergency regulations that establish the methodology described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (f) and to establish a handling fee calculated pursuant to the methodology. The regulations shall take effect no later than July 1, 2026.

(2)Until June 30, 2027, the adoption of regulations described in paragraph (1) shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare for purposes of Sections 11346.1 and 11349.6 of the Government Code, and the department is hereby exempted from the requirement that it describe facts showing the need for immediate action. Notwithstanding Section 11346.1 of the Government Code, the

emergency regulations adopted pursuant to this subdivision shall remain in effect through June 30, 2027.

§ 14585.5

Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 620, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 1995.

(a)The department shall not make handling fee payments to a supermarket site if the department determines that all empty beverage container types are not redeemed at the same physical location within the recycling location.

(b)A supermarket site that redeems all empty beverage container types at the same physical location within the recycling location, and issues script to consumers which is required to be redeemed at a nearby host business, is eligible to receive handling fee payments.

§ 14586

Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 1290, Sec. 2. Effective September 29, 1986.

This division does not create any guarantee of a continuing level of support, or other obligation on the part of the State of California, the department, or any agency thereof, to pay any specified amount to any local conservation organization, community conservation corps, or statewide nonprofit private agency.

§ 14587

Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 1290, Sec. 2. Effective September 29, 1986.

This division does not require or create any obligation that payments made pursuant to this division to any local conservation organization, community conservation corps, or statewide nonprofit private agency in any given fiscal year be made in any subsequent fiscal year at the same or greater level.