CA SB 955
enactedBeverage containers: supermarkets: reverse vending machines.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper
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Quick answers
Did CA SB 955 pass?
Yes. CA SB 955 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-18): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 319, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA SB 955 about?
(1) The California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to designate convenience zones annually and to ensure that at least one certified recycling center that meets specific requirements is located within each convenience zone. The act defines a "convenience zone" as the area within a one-mile radius of a supermarket, as defined. Under the act, a reverse vending machine, as defined, may be certified as a recycling center, as prescribed. The act establishes the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund, and continuously appropriates moneys in the fund to the department for specified purposes, including the amount necessary to pay processing payments to recycling centers and to pay handling fees to certain types of recyclers to provide an incentive for the redemption of empty beverage containers in convenience zones. The act prohibits processing payments, handling fees, and administrative fees for dealer cooperatives if a certified recycling center operates in a convenience zone where a dealer participating in the dealer cooperative is located. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would specify that a reverse vending machine certified to operate as a recycling center does not make an unserved convenience zone served, that a dealer cooperative or a mobile unit is not precluded from operating and receiving program payments in the same convenience zone as a reverse vending machine, and that an existing certified recycling center is not ineligible for handling fees if a reverse vending machine is located in the same convenience zone. (2) The act defines a "supermarket" as a full-line, self-service retail store with gross annual sales of $2,000,000 or more that sells specified items and some perishable items. This bill would revise that definition by increasing the minimum gross annual sales to $6,000,000, revising the description of the required items for sale, causing recycling centers that are supermarkets eligible to receive handling fees under existing law to continue to be eligible to receive handling fees, and requiring the department to consult the most recent annual update to the Progressive Grocer Marketing Guidebook and other relevant updates to the guidebook to determine which dealers are supermarkets, as specified. (3) The act requires, until June 30, 2027, the handling fee to be determined using a methodology established by the department through emergency regulations, and requires those regulations to remain in effect through that date, as specified. This bill would extend the application of those regulations through June 30, 2032. (4) This bill would make an appropriation by expanding the entities that would be eligible at any given time for program payments, and by changing the calculation of handling fees, paid by the department from the continuously appropriated fund. (5) By adding new requirements to the act, this bill would expand the scope of crimes, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Who sponsors CA SB 955?
Blakespear is the primary sponsor of CA SB 955, joined by 1 cosponsor.
Description
(1) The California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to designate convenience zones annually and to ensure that at least one certified recycling center that meets specific requirements is located within each convenience zone. The act defines a "convenience zone" as the area within a one-mile radius of a supermarket, as defined. Under the act, a reverse vending machine, as defined, may be certified as a recycling center, as prescribed. The act establishes the California Beverage Container Recycling Fund, and continuously appropriates moneys in the fund to the department for specified purposes, including the amount necessary to pay processing payments to recycling centers and to pay handling fees to certain types of recyclers to provide an incentive for the redemption of empty beverage containers in convenience zones. The act prohibits processing payments, handling fees, and administrative fees for dealer cooperatives if a certified recycling center operates in a convenience zone where a dealer participating in the dealer cooperative is located. A violation of the act is a crime. This bill would specify that a reverse vending machine certified to operate as a recycling center does not make an unserved convenience zone served, that a dealer cooperative or a mobile unit is not precluded from operating and receiving program payments in the same convenience zone as a reverse vending machine, and that an existing certified recycling center is not ineligible for handling fees if a reverse vending machine is located in the same convenience zone. (2) The act defines a "supermarket" as a full-line, self-service retail store with gross annual sales of $2,000,000 or more that sells specified items and some perishable items. This bill would revise that definition by increasing the minimum gross annual sales to $6,000,000, revising the description of the required items for sale, causing recycling centers that are supermarkets eligible to receive handling fees under existing law to continue to be eligible to receive handling fees, and requiring the department to consult the most recent annual update to the Progressive Grocer Marketing Guidebook and other relevant updates to the guidebook to determine which dealers are supermarkets, as specified. (3) The act requires, until June 30, 2027, the handling fee to be determined using a methodology established by the department through emergency regulations, and requires those regulations to remain in effect through that date, as specified. This bill would extend the application of those regulations through June 30, 2032. (4) This bill would make an appropriation by expanding the entities that would be eligible at any given time for program payments, and by changing the calculation of handling fees, paid by the department from the continuously appropriated fund. (5) By adding new requirements to the act, this bill would expand the scope of crimes, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
- Introduced
- 2026-02-02
- Latest action
- 2026-09-18 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 319, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill,appropriation
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Blakespearauthor
- Valladarescoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-18
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 319, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-18
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2026-09-02
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
executive-receipt
2026-08-27
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2026-08-26
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2026-08-24
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2026-08-24
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.
2026-08-24
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6421.) Ordered to the Senate.
amendment-passage,passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-08-17
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-08-13
Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
2026-08-13
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 13).
2026-08-13
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2026-08-05
August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
2026-06-23
Coauthors revised.
2026-06-23
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (June 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-06-01
Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
referral-committee
2026-05-22
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
reading-1
2026-05-22
Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 4417.) Ordered to the Assembly.
amendment-passage,passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-20
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2026-05-19
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-05-18
Read third time and amended.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-18
Ordered to second reading.
reading-1,reading-2
2026-05-14
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-05-14
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4259.) (May 14).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-05-08
Set for hearing May 14.
2026-04-20
April 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2026-04-14
Set for hearing April 20.
2026-04-09
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-04-08
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 3792.) (April 8).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-03-18
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-03-11
Set for hearing April 8.
2026-03-09
March 18 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
2026-02-25
Set for hearing March 18.
2026-02-11
Referred to Com. on E.Q.
referral-committee
2026-02-03
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 5.
2026-02-02
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
introduction,reading-1,referral-committee
Versions
- 02/02/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-02Compare
- 03/18/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-03-18Compare
- 04/09/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-04-09Compare
- 05/18/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-05-18Compare
- 08/13/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-08-13Compare
- 08/30/26 - Enrolled — 2026-08-30Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
- SB955Compare
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Votes
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2026-04-08 · pass · 6-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Blakespear: yes
- Allen: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Dahle: other
Placed on suspense file
2026-04-20 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Cervantes: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Seyarto: yes
Do pass
2026-05-14 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Cervantes: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Grayson: yes
Special Consent (Urgency Clause)
2026-05-22 · pass · 33-0
Member-level votes (40)
- Rubio: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Cortese: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Strickland: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Jones: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Limón: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Grove: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Choi: yes
- Richardson: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Laird: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Ochoa Bogh: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Becker: other
- Hurtado: other
- Padilla: other
- Alvarado-Gil: other
- Stern: other
- Niello: other
- Allen: other
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2026-06-22 · pass · 14-0
Member-level votes (14)
- Zbur: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Haney: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Alanis: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-09-20T07:34:34.877629Z
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