State Legislative Update (West) 5.14.26

Below is an update on big ticket recent activity across the states in the Western Region. As always, please reach out with any questions.

California's Appropriation Committees recently held their Suspense File hearings. Generally, if the cost of a bill is determined to be $50,000 or more to the General Fund or $150,000 or more to a special fund, the bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.

The Suspense File process has been a part of the Committee Rules since the mid-1980s as a way to consider the fiscal impacts to the state of legislation as a whole. The committee analysis indicates whether a bill’s fiscal impacts meet the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bills either move on to their respective floors for further consideration or are held in committee and under submission.

Below are the results for the bills on which PLASTICS has taken positions:

CALIFORNIA

AB 2253 (Boerner): Solid waste: products: environmental marketing claims

PLASTICS has joined an industry-wide Opposition coalition led by ACC.
AB 2253 passed off Suspense File and now heads to the Assembly floor. ACC is updating a Floor Alert, and PLASTICS will continue to lobby in opposition, and this remains a high priority bill.

SB 1180 (Allen): Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act: California Plastic Pollution

PLASTICS has joined an industry-wide Oppose Unless Amended coalition.
SB 1180 passed off Suspense File with amendments and now heads to the Senate Floor. We will share amendments when available and continue to lobby for the removal of the "transformative shift away from plastic production and use" language.

AB 2034 (Addis): Food safety: unsafe additives and ingredient disclosures

AB 2034 is part of the larger multi-state bill introduction on FDA's GRAS.
AB 2034 would require state-level review, licensing, and public disclosure of food additives and ingredients, particularly those with potential health risks, and mandates a public database of ingredient information for packaged foods sold in the state.
PLASTICS is closely monitoring the bill, and our contract lobbyist remains in communication with legislators to raise our concerns.
AB 2034 was held on Suspense File and is now dead.

SB 1031 (Blakespear): Solid waste: compostable products

SB 1031 would require a compostable product to be labeled in a manner that distinguishes the product from a non-compostable product upon reasonable inspection by consumers and by solid waste processing facilities during receiving and processing and to be labeled with the word “compostable” as specified.
SB 1031 would also require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to conduct a study evaluating the health effects of degraded compostable plastics and their additives.
PLASTICS will be adopting an Oppose position on SB 1031.
SB 1031 passed off Suspense File with amendments related to the “compostable except in California” prohibition. We will share the amendment language once we receive.

AB 1812 (Aguiar-Curry): Solid waste: compostable products

AB 1812 would prohibit selling or offering for sale any product labeled with the term “compostable” or “home compostable” unless the product has OK compost HOME certification or meets a state-approved compostability standard.
Additionally, as of Jan. 1, 2027, AB 1812 would prohibit the sale or marketing of any product with such terms if made wholly or partially out of plastic
PLASTICS will be adopting an Oppose position on AB 1812.
AB 1812 passed off Suspense File and now heads to the Assembly Floor. We will submit our opposition and continue to work in opposition of the bill.

Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or would like additional information.

Ivy Brittain

Regional Director, State Government Affairs

d. 202.974.5294 | m. 916.708.3466

plasticsindustry.org

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