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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Senate Bill

SB 819: Geothermal waste: exemption from generation and handling fees: study.

Did not advance Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted
  6. Did not advance

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

SB 819 is a senate bill introduced in the California Senate on February 21, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Geothermal waste: exemption from generation and handling fees: study. Primary sponsor: Stephen Padilla (D). Most recent recorded action (February 2, 2026): Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

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

The hazardous waste control laws require the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to regulate the handling and management of hazardous waste and hazardous materials. A violation of the hazardous waste control laws is a crime.

Existing law requires a generator of hazardous waste to pay to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration a generation and handling fee for each generator site that generates a specified amount of waste, as provided, and authorizes DTSC to adopt regulations necessary to implement generator fees.

Existing law exempts geothermal waste resulting from drilling for geothermal resources from the hazardous waste control laws for a specified reason. Existing law also exempts geothermal waste, excluding filter cake, that is generated from the exploration, development, or production of geothermal energy and that does not result from drilling for geothermal resources, from the hazardous waste control laws under specified circumstances.

This bill would require the DTSC to prepare and submit to the Legislature, no later than July 1, 2026, a study regarding the issues that would arise if geothermal waste that is not exempt from generation and handling fees pursuant to existing law is made exempt from those fees.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Stephen PadillaPrimary sponsorDemocraticSenate18

“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. Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
  2. May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
  3. Set for hearing May 23.
  4. May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
  5. Set for hearing May 5.
  6. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 867.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
  7. Set for hearing April 23.
  8. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
  9. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
  10. Referred to Com. on RLS.
  11. Read first time.
  12. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page