Bill Text: CA SB615 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Vehicle traction batteries.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-08-27 - Ordered to third reading. [SB615 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SB615-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 615

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Introduced by Senator Allen

February 15, 2023

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An act to repeal and add Article 3 (commencing with Section 42450.5) of Chapter 8 of Part 3 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code, relating to solid waste.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 615, as introduced, Allen. Electric vehicle traction batteries.

Existing law requires the Secretary for Environmental Protection to convene the Lithium-Ion Car Battery Recycling Advisory Group to review, and advise the Legislature on, policies pertaining to the recovery and recycling of lithium-ion vehicle batteries sold with motor vehicles in the state. Existing law also requires the advisory group to submit policy recommendations to the Legislature aimed at ensuring that as close to 100% as possible of lithium-ion vehicle batteries in the state are reused or recycled at end-of-life in a safe and cost-effective manner.

This bill would repeal those requirements. The bill would instead require all electric vehicle traction batteries, as defined, sold with motor vehicles in the state to be recovered and reused, repurposed, remanufactured, or recycled at the end of their useful life in a motor vehicle or any other application. The bill would also require a vehicle manufacturer, dealer, automobile dismantler, automotive repair dealer, and nonvehicle secondary user to be responsible for ensuring the responsible end-of-life management of an electric vehicle traction battery once it is removed from a vehicle or other application to which the electric vehicle traction battery has been used. The bill would include a related statement of legislative findings and declarations and a statement of policy regarding end-of-life management of electric vehicle traction batteries.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a) As the State of California continues its commitment to decarbonizing the on-road transportation sector and as electric vehicles become more cost-competitive and popular with consumers, the state will see an increase in the number of electric vehicle traction batteries.

(b) Electric vehicle traction batteries that are no longer useful in an electric vehicle can be repurposed for another application, remanufactured, or recycled. Given the growth expected in California’s electric vehicle market, the value inherent in the material used to manufacture vehicle batteries, and the potential hazard posed by these batteries if handled improperly, California has an interest in creating a coherent state policy designed to ensure all electric vehicle traction batteries are reused, repurposed, remanufactured, and eventually recycled.

(c) In 2018, the Legislature passed and the governor signed AB 2832, calling for the formation of an advisory group of experts to develop policy recommendations aimed at ensuring that as close to 100 percent as possible of electric vehicle traction batteries in the state are reused or recycled at end-of-life in a safe and cost-effective manner. The advisory group published a report in March of 2022 summarizing their work, detailing barriers and opportunities for improving management of these batteries, and presenting policies designed to further the already-developing circular economy, avoid adverse impacts to public health and the environment, and at keep these batteries out of the waste stream.

(d) One key recommendation of the advisory group was to create a program which would require those involved in the production and use of electric vehicle traction batteries to take responsibility for the end-of-life of the product. The report articulated different approaches to accomplishing this goal and underscored the need to define which entities should be responsible for coordinating and covering the costs associated with management of the batteries when those costs present a burden for the vehicle owner and the need to mitigate barriers that currently inhibit the reuse, repurposing, and recycling of these batteries.

SEC. 2.

 (a) It is the policy of the State of California that in situations when an electric vehicle traction battery reaches the end of its life and cannot be reused in another vehicle or repurposed, it shall be sent to a repurposer, remanufacturer, recycler, or sorting facility to ensure proper disposal.

(b) It is further the policy of the State of California that any program designed to ensure proper end-of-life management of electric vehicle traction batteries first strives to reuse batteries when possible. When that is not possible, the program shall strive to repurpose or remanufacture the battery for a different application. When neither is possible, the program shall ensure the batteries are recycled. Disposal of these batteries should be discouraged and ultimately eliminated in support of achieving a circular economy.

SEC. 3.

 Article 3 (commencing with Section 42450.5) of Chapter 8 of Part 3 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code is repealed.

SEC. 4.

 Article 3 (commencing with Section 42450.5) is added to Chapter 8 of Part 3 of Division 30 of the Public Resources Code, to read:

Article  3. Electric Vehicle Traction Batteries

42450.5.

 For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Automobile dismantler” has the same definition as in Section 220 of the Vehicle Code.

(b) “Automotive repair dealer” has the same definition as subdivision (a) of Section 9880.1 of the Business and Professions Code.

(c) “Dealer” has the same definition as in Section 285 of the Vehicle Code.

(d) “Electric vehicle traction battery” means an advanced battery technology used as a traction battery to propel a motor vehicle.

(e) “Motor vehicle” has the same definition as in Section 415 of the Vehicle Code.

(f) “Nonvehicle secondary user” means a business or entity that has repurposed an electric vehicle traction battery to another application, other than as a traction battery in an electric vehicle.

(g) “Vehicle manufacturer” has the same definition as in Section 672 of the Vehicle Code.

42450.6.

 All electric vehicle traction batteries sold with motor vehicles in the state shall be recovered and reused, repurposed, remanufactured, or recycled at the end of their useful life in a motor vehicle or any other application.

42450.7.

 A vehicle manufacturer, dealer, automobile dismantler, automotive repair dealer, and nonvehicle secondary user shall be responsible for ensuring the responsible end-of-life management of an electric vehicle traction battery once it is removed from a vehicle or other application to which the electric vehicle traction battery has been used.