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Agency-supported Legislation Update
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Requested Action(s)
recommendation
This item is for informational purposes only. No further action is required.
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Financial Impact:
None.
Background Information:
Below is a list of bills the Agency has supported and where they currently stand.
AB 762 (Irwin and Wilson) - Disposable (single-use) Vape Ban
This bill would ban the sale of disposable (single-use) vapes in California to address toxic waste and fire hazards from lithium-ion batteries. The bill passed the Assembly with a vote of 50-17 on January 29, 2026, and is now in the Senate Rules Committee for assignment. Staff will continue to monitor the progress of this bill.
SB 501 (Allen) - Responsible Battery Recycling Act of 2022: covered batteries
This bill was amended to no longer apply to all household hazardous waste (HHW) and instead to fix an issue with another law, the Responsible Battery Recycling Act of 2022. That law excluded batteries weighing over 5 kilograms or 300 watt-hours from the definition of a covered battery. The bill would remove the exclusions from the definition of a covered battery for a primary battery and a rechargeable battery and categorize all covered batteries as either a small format battery or a medium format battery. This bill would instead require the stewardship plan to describe how the producer or stewardship organization will provide a certain number of collection sites for small format batteries and medium format batteries, as specified. The bill was recently referred to the Senate Committees on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials and Natural Resources on May 4, 2026. Staff will continue to monitor the progress of this bill.
SB 936 (Blakespear) - Nitrous Oxide Ban
Senate Bill 936 bans the sale of nitrous oxide, which is widely used as an illicit recreational inhalant. Aside from serious public health and safety impacts associated with its illicit use as a party drug, large nitrous oxide cylinders are a growing and expensive waste management problem. The bill recently passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 14, 2026 with a 7-0 vote, ordered to a third reading, then amended and ordered to a second reading. Staff will continue to monitor the progress of this bill.
AB 2667 (Hadwick) - Household Hazardous Waste: vape pens
Assembly Bill 2667 seeks to protect children, young adults, and the public by: 1) Banning disguised vapes and vapes containing video display devices, 2) Providing an easier regulatory pathway for schools to properly dispose of vapes confiscated from students, and 3) Improving the safe collection, management, and proper disposal of vapes by local household hazardous waste (HHW) collection facilities. The bill recently passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14, 2026 with a 15-0 vote, then ordered to a second and third reading. Staff will continue to monitor the progress of this bill.