ENGROSSED SENATE
BILL NO. 1162	By:	Bingman of the Senate

			and

		McNiel of the House

An act relating to recyclable materials; creating the Oklahoma Recyclable Container Initiative within the Department of Environmental Quality; stating legislative findings; requiring appointments within certain time period; stating mission; stating membership; prohibiting compensation for members; authorizing working group to make reports; providing termination date; providing for noncodification; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law not to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
A.  There is hereby created within the Department of Environmental Quality, the Oklahoma Recyclable Container Initiative (ORCI), a working group appointed pursuant to this section, for the purpose of encouraging and promoting the creation of partnerships between various stakeholders committed to improving the recovery and resale of high quality, valuable container feedstock materials and keeping those same materials from entering the solid waste stream.
B.  The Legislature finds it is in the public interest to create the Oklahoma Recyclable Container Initiative (ORCI) because:
1.  There exists a robust interstate and intrastate market for recyclable containers which are produced and used by many Oklahoma industries and current demand far exceeds the available supply;
2.  The economic challenges facing our state's municipalities, counties and other entities responsible for the collection and disposal of solid waste are severe and ongoing and the ORCI will provide an opportunity to evaluate current solid waste collection and disposal methods and possibly reduce costs for those entities;
3.  Increasing the use of recyclable containers may increase the competitiveness of existing state industries in relation to their foreign and domestic competitors, thereby preserving existing jobs and potentially adding new jobs; and
4.  Roadside and waterway litter will be reduced and the ORCI will be available to support the efforts of a variety of interest groups working to improve collection and recovery rates for all types of recyclable materials.
C.  A working group shall be appointed within sixty (60) days following the efffective date of this act.  The primary mission of the ORCI shall be to identify or create methods to help Oklahoma industries achieve a goal of capturing and reusing fifty percent (50%) of recyclable containers.  The ORCI shall study methods to incentivize public and private sector recycling and industrial reuse efforts designed to reduce waste disposal, find ways to increase the availability of product resources for Oklahoma manufacturers and to create job opportunities for Oklahoma citizens.  Container deposit legislation has been studied by the State of Oklahoma through state agencies and interim studies and there is a record of such efforts.  Therefore, the working group will study additional approaches such as extended producer responsibility and product stewardship models to potentially achieve a goal of capturing and reusing fifty percent (50%) of recyclable containers.  The working group shall be composed of nine (9) members as follows:
1.  A representative of the Oklahoma Tax Commission;
2.  A representative of the Department of Environmental Quality;
3.  A representative of the Department of Commerce;
4.  Two members to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
5.  Two members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
6.  Two members to be appointed by the Governor.
The Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality or a designee shall serve as chair of the ORCI and shall determine an appropriate meeting schedule.
D.  Members appointed to the ORCI pursuant to this section shall serve without compensation.
E.  The working group may report any findings or recommendations it deems necessary and appropriate to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
F.  The activities of the working group shall terminate no later than two (2) years following the effective date of this act.
SECTION 2.  It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
Passed the Senate the 5th day of March, 2012.

	
	Presiding Officer of the Senate

Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 2012.

	
	Presiding Officer of the House
	of Representatives