AB 864

AB864:v96#DOCUMENT

Bill Start

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 864

An act to amend Sections 25143.2 and Section 25259 of, and to add Section 25259.1 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to hazardous waste.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 864, as amended, Ward. Hazardous waste: solar photovoltaic modules.

Existing law requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to adopt regulations for the identification and management of hazardous wastes. Existing law authorizes the department to adopt regulations designating end-of-life photovoltaic modules that are identified as hazardous waste as a universal waste and subject to regulations applicable to universal waste management. Existing regulations define surplus materials, as provided, and specify that surplus material is not a recyclable material. Existing federal regulations exclude from being classified as hazardous waste under federal law certain hazardous secondary material that is generated and then transferred to another person for the purpose of reclamation if specific conditions are met.

This bill would exempt solar photovoltaic modules not identified as hazardous waste and treated, except as provided, as universal waste, as defined, from state hazardous waste regulations, if transferred to a designated recycler for legitimate recycling, as described, and if the facility meets specified criteria relating to registration permits, as provided. The This bill would make the universal waste designation applicable to a solar photovoltaic module that is intended for recycling and cannot otherwise be resold, reused, or refurbished only until the department adopts regulations implementing alternative management standards for solar photovoltaic modules. The bill would require the department to institute a rulemaking to develop alternative management standards for solar photovoltaic modules that facilitate greater material recovery. The bill would require the department to adopt the above-referenced federal transfer-based exclusion regulation for solar photovoltaic modules. The bill would also designate a solar photovoltaic module that can be resold, reused, or refurbished as surplus material. The bill would make a conforming change.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.Section 25143.2 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

25143.2.

(a)Recyclable materials are subject to this chapter and the regulations adopted by the department to implement this chapter that apply to hazardous wastes, unless the department issues a variance pursuant to Section 25143, or except as provided otherwise in subdivision (b), (c), or (d) or in the regulations adopted by the department pursuant to Sections 25150 and 25151.

(b)Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (e), (f), and (g), recyclable material that is managed in accordance with Section 25143.9 and is or will be recycled by any of the following methods shall be excluded from classification as a waste:

(1)Used or reused as an ingredient in an industrial process to make a product if the material is not being reclaimed.

(2)Used or reused as a safe and effective substitute for commercial products if the material is not being reclaimed.

(3)Returned to the original process from which the material was generated, without first being reclaimed, if the material is returned as a substitute for raw material feedstock, and the process uses raw materials as principal feedstocks.

(4)Solar photovoltaic modules, transferred to a legitimate recycler as described in Section 260.43 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, that are subject to the federal transfer-based exclusion requirements of Section 261.4(a)(24) of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations as hazardous secondary material. Solar photovoltaic modules managed pursuant to this subdivision shall comply with Section 66273.33.6(a)(1)(B) of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(c)Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (e), any recyclable material may be recycled at a facility that is not authorized by the department pursuant to the applicable hazardous waste facilities permit requirements of Article 9 (commencing with Section 25200) if either of the following requirements is met:

(1)The material is a petroleum refinery waste containing oil that is converted into petroleum coke at the same facility at which the waste was generated unless the resulting coke product would be identified as a hazardous waste under this chapter.

(2)The material meets all of the following conditions:

(A)The material is recycled and used at the same facility at which the material was generated.

(B)The material is recycled within the applicable generator accumulation time limits specified in Section 25123.3 and the regulations adopted by the department pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 25123.3.

(C)The material is managed in accordance with all applicable requirements for generators of hazardous wastes under this chapter and regulations adopted by the department.

(d)Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (e), (f), (g), and (h), recyclable material that meets the definition of a non-RCRA hazardous waste in Section 25117.9, is managed in accordance with Section 25143.9, and meets or will meet any of the following requirements is excluded from classification as a waste:

(1)The material can be shown to be recycled and used at the site where the material was generated.

(2)The material qualifies as one or more of the following:

(A)The material is a product that has been processed from a hazardous waste, or has been handled, at a facility authorized by the department pursuant to the facility permit requirements of Article 9 (commencing with Section 25200) to process or handle the material, if the product meets both of the following conditions:

(i)The product does not contain constituents, other than those for which the material is being recycled, that render the material hazardous under regulations adopted pursuant to Sections 25140 and 25141.

(ii)The product is used, or distributed or sold for use, in a manner for which the product is commonly used.

(B)The material is a petroleum refinery waste containing oil that is converted into petroleum coke at the same facility at which the waste was generated, unless the resulting coke product would be identified as a hazardous waste under this chapter.

(C)The material is oily waste, used oil, or spent nonhalogenated solvent that is managed by the owner or operator of a refinery that is processing primarily crude oil and is not subject to permit requirements for the recycling of used oil, of a public utility, or of a corporate subsidiary, corporate parent, or subsidiary of the same corporate parent of the refinery or public utility, and meets all of the following requirements:

(i)The material is either burned in an industrial boiler, an industrial furnace, an incinerator, or a utility boiler that is in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, or is recombined with normal process streams to produce a fuel or other refined petroleum product.

(ii)The material is managed at the site where it was generated; managed at another site owned or operated by the generator, a corporate subsidiary of the generator, a subsidiary of the same entity of which the generator is a subsidiary, or the corporate parent of the generator; or, if the material is generated in the course of oil or gas exploration or production, managed by an unrelated refinery receiving the waste through a common pipeline.

(iii)The material does not contain constituents, other than those for which the material is being recycled, that render the material hazardous under regulations adopted pursuant to Sections 25140 and 25141, unless the material is an oil-bearing material or recovered oil that is managed in accordance with subdivisions (a) and (c) of Section 25144 or unless the material is used oil removed from equipment, vehicles, or engines used primarily at the refinery where it is to be used to produce fuels or other refined petroleum products and the used oil is managed in accordance with Section 279.22 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations prior to insertion into the refining process.

(D)The material is a fuel that is transferred to, and processed into, a fuel or other refined petroleum product at a petroleum refinery, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 25144, and meets one of the following requirements:

(i)The fuel has been removed from a fuel tank and is contaminated with water or nonhazardous debris, of not more than 2 percent by weight, including, but not limited to, rust or sand.

(ii)The fuel has been unintentionally mixed with an unused petroleum product.

(3)The material is transported between locations operated by the same person who generated the material, if the material is recycled at the last location operated by that person and all of the conditions of clauses (i) to (vi), inclusive, of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (4) are met. If requested by the department or by any official authorized to enforce this section pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 25180, a person handling material subject to this paragraph, within 15 days from the date of receipt of the request, shall supply documentation to show that the requirements of this paragraph have been satisfied.

(4)(A) The material is transferred between locations operated by the same person who generated the material, if the material is to be recycled at an authorized offsite hazardous waste facility and if all of the following conditions are met:

(i)The material is transferred by employees of that person in vehicles under the control of that person or by a registered hazardous waste hauler under contract to that person.

(ii)The material is not handled at any interim location.

(iii)The material is not held at any publicly accessible interim location for more than four hours unless required by other provisions of law.

(iv)The material is managed in compliance with this chapter and the regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter prior to the initial transportation of the material and after the receipt of the material at the last location operated by that person. Upon receipt of the material at the last location operated by that person, the material shall be deemed to have been generated at that location.

(v)All of the following information is maintained in an operating log at the last location operated by that person and kept for at least three years after receipt of the material at that location:

(I)The name and address of each generator location contributing material to each shipment received.

(II)The quantity and type of material contributed by each generator to each shipment of material.

(III)The destination and intended disposition of all material shipped offsite or received.

(IV)The date of each shipment received or sent offsite.

(vi)If requested by the department, or by any law enforcement official, a person handling material subject to this paragraph, within 15 days from the date of receipt of the request, shall supply documentation to show that the requirements of this paragraph have been satisfied.

(B)For purposes of paragraph (3) and subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, “person” also includes corporate subsidiary, corporate parent, or subsidiary of the same corporate parent.

(C)Persons that are a corporate subsidiary, corporate parent, or subsidiary of the same corporate parent, and that manage recyclable materials under paragraph (3) or subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, are jointly and severally liable for any activities excluded from regulation pursuant to this section.

(5)The material is used or reused as an ingredient in an industrial process to make a product if the material meets all of the following requirements:

(A)The material is not a wastewater that meets all of the following criteria:

(i)The wastewater is a non-RCRA hazardous waste.

(ii)The wastewater contains more than 75 parts per million of total petroleum hydrocarbons, as determined by use of United States Environmental Protection Agency Method 1664, Revision A for Silica Gel Treated N-Hexane Extractable Material.

(iii)The wastewater has been transported offsite to a facility that is not a publicly owned treatment works, or a facility owned by the generator, or a corporate subsidiary, corporate parent, or a subsidiary of the same corporate parent of the generator.

(B)Any discharges to air from the treatment of the material by the procedures specified in subparagraph (C) do not contain constituents that are hazardous wastes pursuant to the regulations of the department and are in compliance with applicable air pollution control laws.

(C)The material is not being treated except by one or more of the following procedures:

(i)Filtering.

(ii)Screening.

(iii)Sorting.

(iv)Sieving.

(v)Grinding.

(vi)Physical or gravity separation without the addition of external heat or any chemicals.

(vii)pH adjustment.

(viii)Viscosity adjustment.

(6)The material is used or reused as a safe and effective substitute for commercial products, if the material meets all of the following requirements:

(A)The material is not a wastewater that meets all of the following criteria:

(i)The wastewater is a non-RCRA hazardous waste.

(ii)The wastewater contains more than 75 parts per million of total petroleum hydrocarbons, as determined by use of United States Environmental Protection Agency Method 1664, Revision A for Silica Gel Treated N-Hexane Extractable Material.

(iii)The wastewater has been transported offsite to a facility that is not a publicly owned treatment works, or a facility owned by the generator, or a corporate subsidiary, corporate parent, or a subsidiary of the same corporate parent of the generator.

(B)Any discharges to air from the treatment of the material by the procedures specified in subparagraph (C) do not contain constituents that are hazardous wastes pursuant to the regulations of the department and the discharges are in compliance with applicable air pollution control laws.

(C)The material is not being treated, except by one or more of the following procedures:

(i)Filtering.

(ii)Screening.

(iii)Sorting.

(iv)Sieving.

(v)Grinding.

(vi)Physical or gravity separation without the addition of external heat or any chemicals.

(vii)pH adjustment.

(viii)Viscosity adjustment.

(7)The material is a chlorofluorocarbon or hydrochlorofluorocarbon compound or a combination of chlorofluorocarbon or hydrochlorofluorocarbon compounds, is being reused or recycled, and is used in heat transfer equipment, including, but not limited to, mobile air-conditioning systems, mobile refrigeration, and commercial and industrial air-conditioning and refrigeration systems, used in fire extinguishing products, or contained within foam products.

(e)Notwithstanding subdivisions (b), (c), and (d), all of the following recyclable materials are hazardous wastes and subject to full regulation under this chapter, even if the recycling involves use, reuse, or return to the original process as described in subdivision (b), and even if the recycling involves activities or materials described in subdivisions (c) and (d):

(1)Materials that are a RCRA hazardous waste, as defined in Section 25120.2, used in a manner constituting disposal, or used to produce products that are applied to the land, including, but not limited to, materials used to produce a fertilizer, soil amendment, agricultural mineral, or an auxiliary soil and plant substance.

(2)Materials that are a non-RCRA hazardous waste, as defined in Section 25117.9, and used in a manner constituting disposal or used to produce products that are applied to the land as a fertilizer, soil amendment, agricultural mineral, or an auxiliary soil and plant substance. The department may adopt regulations to exclude materials from regulation pursuant to this paragraph.

(3)Materials burned for energy recovery, used to produce a fuel, or contained in fuels, except materials exempted under paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) or excluded under subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (d).

(4)Materials accumulated speculatively.

(5)Materials determined to be inherently wastelike pursuant to regulations adopted by the department.

(6)Used or spent etchants, stripping solutions, and plating solutions that are transported to an offsite facility operated by a person other than the generator and either of the following applies:

(A)The etchants or solutions are no longer fit for their originally purchased or manufactured purpose.

(B)If the etchants or solutions are reused, the generator and the user cannot document that they are used for their originally purchased or manufactured purpose without prior treatment.

(7)Used oil, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 25250.1, unless one of the following applies:

(A)The used oil is excluded under subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (d), paragraph (4) of subdivision (d), subdivision (b) of Section 25250.1, or Section 25250.3, and is managed in accordance with the applicable requirements of Part 279 (commencing with Section 279.1) of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(B)The used oil is used or reused on the site where it was generated or is excluded under paragraph (3) of subdivision (d), is managed in accordance with the applicable requirements of Part 279 (commencing with Section 279.1) of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and is not any of the following:

(i)Used in a manner constituting disposal or used to produce a product that is applied to land.

(ii)Burned for energy recovery or used to produce a fuel unless the used oil is excluded under subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (d).

(iii)Accumulated speculatively.

(iv)Determined to be inherently wastelike pursuant to regulations adopted by the department.

(f)(1) Any person who manages a recyclable material under a claim that the material qualifies for exclusion or exemption pursuant to this section shall provide, upon request, to the department, the California Environmental Protection Agency, or any local agency or official authorized to bring an action as provided in Section 25180, all of the following information:

(A)The name, street and mailing address, and telephone number of the owner or operator of any facility that manages the material.

(B)Any other information related to the management by that person of the material requested by the department, the California Environmental Protection Agency, or the authorized local agency or official.

(2)Any person claiming an exclusion or an exemption pursuant to this section shall maintain adequate records to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the requesting agency or official that there is a known market or disposition for the material, and that the requirements of any exemption or exclusion pursuant to this section are met.

(3)For purposes of determining that the conditions for exclusion from classification as a waste pursuant to this section are met, any person, facility, site, or vehicle engaged in the management of a material under a claim that the material is excluded from classification as a waste pursuant to this section is subject to Section 25185.

(g)For purposes of Part 2 (commencing with Section 78000) of Division 45, recyclable materials excluded from classification as a waste pursuant to this section are not excluded from the definition of hazardous substances in paragraph (7) of subdivision (a) of Section 78075.

(h)Used oil that fails to qualify for exclusion pursuant to subdivision (d) solely because the used oil is a RCRA hazardous waste may be managed pursuant to subdivision (d) if the used oil is also managed in accordance with the applicable requirements of Part 279 (commencing with Section 279.1) of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

SEC. 2.SECTION 1.

Section 25259 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

25259.

Subject to this article, the department may, by regulation, designate end-of-life photovoltaic modules that are identified as hazardous waste as a universal waste and subject those modules to universal waste management. The department may revise these regulations as necessary.

SEC. 3.SEC. 2.

Section 25259.1 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

25259.1.

(a) (1) Notwithstanding Section 25259, the universal waste designation shall only apply to a solar photovoltaic module that is intended for recycling and cannot otherwise be resold, reused, or refurbished, and shall only apply until the department adopts regulations implementing alternative management standards pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) for solar photovoltaic modules.

(2) A solar photovoltaic module that can be resold, reused, or refurbished shall be designated as surplus material, as defined in Section 66260.10 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

(b)Notwithstanding Section 25259, solar photovoltaic modules not identified as hazardous waste and treated as universal waste, as defined in Section 25123.8, are exempt from state hazardous waste regulations, if transferred to a designated recycler for legitimate recycling, as defined in Section 260.43 of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, if the facility meets specific criteria, as described in Sections 18104 to 18104.9, inclusive, of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations.

(c)A solar photovoltaic module shall comply with paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 25143.2.

(b) The department shall institute a rulemaking to do each of the following:(1) Develop alternative management standards for solar photovoltaic modules that facilitate greater material recovery.(2) Adopt the federal transfer-based exclusion for solar photovoltaic modules pursuant to Section 261.4(a)(24) of Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.