Overview
The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is proposing permanent regulations per Public Resources Code (PRC) sections 42420 – 42428 in response to Assembly Bill (AB) 2440 (Irwin, Chapter 351. Statutes of 2022), which established the Responsible Battery Recycling Act (Act). The Act requires producers, either individually or through the creation of one or more stewardship organizations, to develop, fund, and implement a stewardship program for the collection and recycling of covered batteries.
Affected Regulatory Code Sections
CalRecycle is proposing permanent regulations to adopt Title 14, California Code of Regulations, Division 7, Chapter 11, Article 5, Sections 18976, 18976.1, 18976.2, 18976.3, 18976.4, 18976.5, 18976.6, 18976.7, 18976.8, 18976.9, 18976.10, 18976.11, 18976.12, 18976.13, 18976.14, 18976.15, and 18976.16.
Current Status
On June 16, 2026, CalRecycle will hold an informal public workshop to describe California’s rulemaking process and solicit feedback on the updated proposed regulations. CalRecycle will provide a full draft of the proposed regulations and a discussion document summarizing the changes prior to the workshop to give interested parties time to review the content in advance.
Current Documents
Formal rulemaking documents will be published on this webpage once CalRecycle files a formal public notice of the proposed regulations with the Office of Administrative Law (OAL).
Input from Interested Parties
Interested parties will be able to provide comments and questions both in-person and via Zoom during the workshop. The informal comment period for the proposed regulations begins on June 16, 2026, and ends on June 30, 2026. CalRecycle requests that interested parties identify the applicable section number of the proposed regulatory text associated with their comments.
- CalRecycle’s public comment portal: Battery Stewardship Informal Rulemaking Comment Period
- Via email to Regulations@calrecycle.ca.gov with the subject line “June 2026 Battery Stewardship Workshop.”
By submitting a written comment to CalRecycle in connection with this rulemaking action you shall be deemed to have expressly indicated a willingness to receive a notice by means of an electronic written communication via email unless you specifically request CalRecycle to deliver its notice(s) via non-electronic communication.
Please note that under the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 7920.000 et seq.), your written and oral comments, attachments, and associated contact information (e.g., your address, phone number, email address, etc.) become part of the public record and can be released to the public upon request.
Contact
For more information on the Responsible Battery Recycling Act Regulations, contact Frederick Love at Regulations@calrecycle.ca.gov.
Subscribe to the Proposed Regulations GovDelivery to receive emails regarding rulemaking developments.
For more information regarding the Responsible Battery Recycling Act, visit the Battery Stewardship webpage.
Subscribe to the Battery Stewardship GovDelivery to receive emails regarding this program.