SB 279: Solid waste: compostable materials.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to adopt and revise regulations setting forth minimum standards for composting, in accordance with law. Existing regulations require all compostable materials handling activities to obtain a permit prior to commencing operations and to comply with specified requirements. Existing regulations specify 4 regulatory tiers for composting operations, with different requirements for each tier. The 4 tiers are excluded, enforcement agency notification, registration permit, and full solid waste facility permit.

In the excluded tier, existing regulations specify the “excluded activities” that do not constitute compostable material handing operations or facilities and, therefore, are not subject to permit requirements or other regulatory requirements. One of the excluded activities is the composting of green material, agricultural material, food material, and vegetative food material, alone or in combination, if the total amount of feedstock and compost onsite at any one time does not exceed 100 cubic yards and 750 square feet.

This bill would expand this excluded activity exemption for composting activities by eliminating the maximum square-foot condition and authorizing a total amount of feedstock and compost onsite at any one time of up to 200 cubic yards, or 500 cubic yards for a composting activity owned by a public agency, as defined. The bill would also authorize the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to further increase those amounts by regulation. The bill would also make the composting of agricultural materials and residues that are from a large-scale biomass management event at an agricultural facility that does not otherwise operate as a solid waste facility an excluded activity, as specified.

Existing regulations prohibit a composting operation from giving away or selling more than 1,000 cubic yards of compost product annually if it is in the excluded tier or if it is an agricultural material composting operation in the enforcement agency notification tier, its feedstock is both green material and agricultural material, and the operation is located on land zoned for agricultural uses.

This bill would authorize composting activities to give away or sell up to 5,000 cubic yards of compost product annually. The bill would authorize the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to increase, by regulation, that amount when the composting is of agricultural materials and residues that are from a large-scale biomass management event at an agricultural facility.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 3 · Republican 2

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. October 11, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 651, Statutes of 2025.
2. October 11, 2025Approved by the Governor.
3. September 16, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
4. September 9, 2025Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2712.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. September 8, 2025In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
6. September 8, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3000.) Ordered to the Senate.
7. September 3, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. September 2, 2025Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9. August 29, 2025From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 29).
10. August 20, 2025August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
11. July 8, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
12. June 30, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.