Solid waste.

(1) The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, generally regulates the disposal, management, and recycling of solid waste. The act requires a city, county, or city and county, or regional agency formed under the act, to develop a source reduction and recycling element of an integrated waste management plan containing specified components. The act requires those jurisdictions to divert 50% of the solid waste subject to the element, except as specified, through source reduction, recycling, and composting activities. The act allows the 50% diversion requirement to include not more than 10% through transformation, as defined, if specified conditions are met. This bill would repeal the provision authorizing the inclusion of not more than 10% of the diversion through transformation. Because the bill would require local agencies to revise the source reduction and recycling elements of their integrated waste management plans, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The act authorizes the department, under specified conditions, to reduce the diversion requirements for a city or county that, before January 1, 1990, disposed of 75% or more of its solid waste by transformation. This bill would repeal that authorization. (3) Existing law requires the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to administer a grant program to provide financial assistance to promote in-state development of infrastructure, food waste prevention, or other projects to reduce organic waste or process organic and other recyclable materials into new, value-added products. Existing law establishes certain methane emissions reductions goals, including a 75% reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2025 to reduce the landfill disposal of organics. This bill would require the department, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to establish and administer the Zero-Waste Equity Grant Program as a competitive grant program to support targeted strategies and investments in communities transitioning to a zero-waste circular economy. The bill would require the department to provide grants to eligible zero-waste projects, as described. (4) This bill would also require the department, in consultation with the California Workforce Development Board and the Department of Industrial Relations to submit policy recommendations to the Legislature on how to increase job opportunities and improve labor standards and worker pay related to the zero-waste job sector. (5) This bill would also make other conforming changes. (6) 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.