Beverage containers: enforcement.

(1) The existing California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act requires certified recycling centers, when accepting an empty beverage container from a consumer, to pay the refund value. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would prohibit a certified recycling center from accepting or paying a refund value to a consumer for more than 50 pounds of empty beverage containers submitted by that consumer to the certified recycling center during a single 24-hour period. Since a violation of this requirement would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The act prohibits any person from paying, claiming, or receiving any refund value or other specified payments of fees for imported beverage container material, previously redeemed containers, rejected containers, line breakage, or other ineligible material, or, with intent to defraud, taking specified actions with regard to redeeming ineligible containers. This bill would require the department, when implementing these prohibitions, to consider proximity to the state border when assigning employees to the department's audits of redemption centers. (3) Existing law requires a vehicle entering the state that contains more than 25 pounds of empty beverage container material to pass through the nearest plant quarantine inspection station and obtain proof of inspection from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. The department is authorized to enter into an interagency agreement with the Department of Food and Agriculture to implement this requirement. Existing law authorizes plant quarantine officers at plant quarantine inspection stations to, among other things, ascertain the origin, quantity, and kinds of meat and meat products, poultry and poultry products, eggs, and livestock transported into or out of this state through the station. This bill would require the plant quarantine officers at plant quarantine inspection stations to ascertain the origin and quantity of high volumes of empty beverage containers transported by vehicles entering the state. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.