ARTICLE 3. Stewardship Plans [42032. - 42032.2.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 3.

in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 42032. Section 42032.

(a) (1) Within six months of the adoption date of regulations by the department pursuant to Section 42031.2, a program operator shall submit to the department for approval a complete stewardship plan that meets the requirements of Section 42032.2 for the establishment and implementation of a stewardship program, in a format determined by the department. (2) The department shall approve a proposed stewardship program if the program operator submits a completed plan that meets the requirements of this section. (b) (1) Before submitting a stewardship plan to the department pursuant to this section, a program operator shall submit its proposed stewardship plan to the state board for review, and to any other applicable state agencies with areas of authority relative to the stewardship plan. The duration of time that the state board takes to review a stewardship plan pursuant to this paragraph shall not count toward the time limit specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). (2) An agency that receives a plan shall review the plan for compliance with state and federal laws and regulations related to the agency’s respective authority. The agency shall determine compliance or noncompliance with those laws and regulations, and provide to the program operator that determination and an explanation for any finding of noncompliance, within 90 days of receipt of the plan. (3) A program operator may submit an updated proposed plan to an agency that issued a determination of noncompliance to attempt to obtain a determination of compliance. A program operator shall submit any determination received from an agency when it submits its stewardship plan to the department. (4) If, 90 days after submitting a plan to an applicable agency, a program operator has not received a response from the applicable agency, the program operator may submit a certification to the department that the stewardship plan is consistent with all other applicable laws and regulations. (c) (1) The department shall determine if a stewardship plan is complete, including the determinations required pursuant to subdivision (b), and notify the submitting program operator within 30 days of receipt. (2) If the department finds that the stewardship plan is complete, the department’s 90-day review period for consideration of approval of the plan set forth in subdivision (d) shall commence upon the original date of receipt. (3) If the department determines the stewardship plan is incomplete, the department shall identify for the program operator the required additional information, and the program operator shall resubmit the plan within 30 days. (4) If the department determines upon resubmission that the stewardship plan is complete, the department’s 90-day review period for consideration of approval of the plan shall commence upon the date of receipt of the resubmitted plan. (d) (1) The department shall review a complete submitted stewardship plan and shall approve, disapprove, or conditionally approve the plan within 90 days of receipt of the complete plan. (2) The department may consult with, or submit a stewardship plan for review to, the state board or another state agency it determines is necessary to determine the completeness of the stewardship plan or for making a determination on the approval of the stewardship plan or an amendment to the stewardship plan. The duration of time that the department takes to review a stewardship plan pursuant to this paragraph shall not count toward the 90-day time limit specified in paragraph (1). (e) A program operator shall submit any significant changes to a stewardship plan in writing for approval by the department, and shall not implement the changes prior to that approval. (f) (1) If the department disapproves a submitted stewardship plan pursuant to subdivision (d), the department shall explain, in writing within 30 days, how the plan does not comply with this chapter, and the program operator shall resubmit a revised plan to the department. (2) If the department finds that the revised stewardship plan submitted by the program operator does not comply with the requirements of this chapter and disapproves the plan, the covered entity operating its own stewardship program, or the stewardship organization and the covered entities that are members of the stewardship organization, are not in compliance with this chapter until the program operator submits a plan that the department approves. (g) A program operator shall fully implement operation of an approved stewardship program no later than 270 days after approval by the department of the stewardship plan that establishes the stewardship program. (h) If a stewardship plan is revoked pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 42035.4 or terminated by the program operator that submitted the plan, a covered entity no longer subject to that plan may, without being subject to penalties pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 42035), sell or offer for sale covered products in the state for a period of up to one year after the plan terminated or was revoked if the covered entity continues to operate under the most recent approved stewardship plan to which the covered entity was subject. (i) The department shall make all stewardship plans submitted pursuant to this section available to the public, except proprietary information in the plans protected pursuant to Section 42036.4.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 42032.2. Section 42032.2.

(a) (1) To be complete, a stewardship plan for covered drugs shall do all of the following: (A) Identify and provide contact information for the stewardship organization, if applicable, and each participating covered entity, and identify each covered drug sold or offered for sale by each participating covered entity. (B) Identify and provide contact information for the authorized collectors for the stewardship program, as well as the reasons for excluding any potential authorized collectors from participation in the program. (C) Include any determinations provided by a state agency pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42032. Any determination of noncompliance shall be accompanied by a superseding determination of compliance. (D) Demonstrate adequate funding for all administrative and operational costs of the stewardship program, to be borne by participating covered entities. (E) Provide for a handling, transport, and disposal system that complies with applicable state and federal laws, including, but not limited to, regulations adopted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. (F) Provide for a collection system that complies with the requirements of this chapter and meets all of the following requirements for authorized collection sites in each county in which the plan will be implemented: (i) Provides for a minimum of five authorized collection sites or one authorized collection site per 50,000 people, whichever is greater. (ii) Provides for a reasonable geographic spread of authorized collection sites and an explanation for the geographic spread. (iii) Provides for a mail-back program covering any counties where there is not an authorized retail pharmacy operating as an authorized collection site. (G) Require a program operator to do all of the following: (i) Permit an ultimate user who is a homeless, homebound, or disabled individual to request prepaid, preaddressed mailing envelopes, or an alternative form of a collection and disposal system, as described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), that would render the covered drug inert. A program operator shall accept that request through an Internet Web site and toll-free telephone number that it shall maintain to comply with the requests. (ii) Provide alternative methods of collection from ultimate users for any covered drugs, other than controlled substances, that cannot be accepted or commingled with other covered drugs in secure collection receptacles or through a mail-back program, to the extent technically feasible and permissible under applicable state and federal law, including, but not limited to, United States Drug Enforcement Administration regulations. (iii) (I) Provide a service schedule that meets the needs of each authorized collection site to ensure that each secure collection receptacle is serviced as often as necessary to avoid reaching capacity and that collected covered drugs are transported to final disposal in a timely manner. Additionally, a receipt or collection manifest shall be left with the authorized collection site to support verification of the service. The authorized collection site shall maintain and make available to the department this documentation. (II) An authorized collector shall comply with applicable federal and state laws regarding collection and transportation standards, and the handling of covered drugs, including United States Drug Enforcement Administration regulations. (H) Provide the policies and procedures for the safe and secure collection, transporting, and disposing of the covered drug, describe how and where records will be maintained and how, at a minimum, instances of security problems that occur will be addressed, and explain the processes that will be taken to change the policies, procedures, and tracking mechanisms to alleviate the problems and to improve safety and security. (2) Paragraph (1) shall apply only with regard to covered drugs. (b) (1) At least 120 days before submitting a stewardship plan to the department, the operator of a stewardship program for covered drugs shall notify potential authorized collectors in the county or counties in which it operates of the opportunity to serve as an authorized collector for the proposed stewardship program. If a potential authorized collector expresses interest in participating in a stewardship program, the program operator shall commence good faith negotiations with the potential authorized collector within 30 days. (2) A retail pharmacy shall make a reasonable effort to serve as an authorized collector as part of a stewardship program in the county in which it is located. If the minimum threshold described in clause (i) of subparagraph (F) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) is not met in each county in which a retail pharmacy chain has store locations, the retail pharmacy chain shall have at least one location or 15 percent of its store locations, whichever is greater, in that county serve as authorized collectors in a stewardship program. (3) A program operator shall include as an authorized collector under its stewardship program any entity listed in subdivision (b) of Section 42030 that offers to participate in the stewardship program, in writing and without compensation, even if the minimum convenience standards set in clause (i) of subparagraph (F) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) have been achieved. The program operator shall include the offering entity as an authorized collector in the program within 90 days of receiving the written offer to participate. A program operator shall not be required to respond to offers pursuant to this paragraph until the program operator’s stewardship plan has been approved by the department. (c) After a stewardship plan for covered drugs has been approved, the program operator may supplement service, if approved by the department, for a county in which it operates that does not have the minimum number of authorized collection sites due to circumstances beyond the program operator’s control, by establishing one or both of the following: (1) A mail-back program. The mail-back program may include providing information on where and how to receive mail-back materials or providing the locations at which it distributes prepaid, preaddressed mailing envelopes. The program operator shall propose the locations of those envelope distribution locations as part of the stewardship plan. Prepaid mailing envelopes may be mailed to an ultimate user upon request. (2) An alternative form of collection and disposal of covered drugs that complies with applicable state and federal law, including, but not limited to, United States Drug Enforcement Administration regulations. (d) (1) To be complete, a stewardship plan for home-generated sharps waste shall do all of the following: (A) Identify and provide contact information for the stewardship organization, if applicable, and each participating covered entity, and identify each covered product sold or offered for sale by each participating covered entity. (B) Include any determinations provided by a state agency pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 42032. Any determination of noncompliance shall be accompanied by a superseding determination of compliance. (C) Demonstrate adequate funding for all administrative and operational costs of the stewardship program, to be borne by participating covered entities. (D) Provide for a handling, transport, and disposal system, at no cost to the ultimate user, that complies with applicable state and federal laws. (E) Maintain an Internet Web site and toll-free telephone number for purposes of providing information on the program, including disposal options, and to receive requests for sharps waste containers from ultimate users. (F) Provide that a stewardship program for home-generated sharps waste shall be a mail-back program for home-generated sharps waste that complies with this chapter and that meets all the following requirements: (i) The program provides or initiates distribution of a sharps waste container and mail-back materials at the point of sale, to the extent allowable by law. Containers and mail-back materials shall be provided at no cost to the ultimate user. The program operator shall select and distribute a container and mail-back materials sufficient to accommodate the volume of sharps purchased by an ultimate user over a selected time period. (I) For any sharps, the packaging, an insert or instructions, or separate information provided to the ultimate user shall include information on proper sharps waste disposal. (II) All sharps waste containers shall include on a label affixed to the container or packaging, or on a separate insert included in the container or packaging, the program operator’s Internet Web site and toll-free telephone number. (III) All sharps waste containers shall include prepaid postage affixed to the container or to the mail-back packaging. (ii) Upon request, the program provides for reimbursement to local agencies for disposal costs related to home-generated sharps waste, unless the program operator provides for the removal of the home-generated sharps waste from the local household hazardous waste facility. (I) A local agency shall not knowingly request reimbursement for disposal expenses pursuant to this subparagraph for disposal costs resulting from a municipal needle exchange program or a medical waste generator. (II) Reimbursement costs shall be limited to the actual costs of transportation from the household hazardous waste facility and for the actual costs of disposal. (III) A request for reimbursement pursuant to this clause shall be submitted with a declaration under penalty of perjury that the local agency has not knowingly requested reimbursement for expenses prohibited by this section. (IV) A cost is eligible for reimbursement pursuant to this clause if the cost is incurred 270 days or more after the approval of a stewardship plan for home-generated sharps waste. (2) Paragraph (1) shall apply only with regard to home-generated sharps waste. (e) A stewardship plan shall include provisions to expand into jurisdictions not included in the stewardship plan pursuant to Section 42036.2, in the event a jurisdiction repeals its local stewardship program ordinance. (f) A stewardship plan shall include educational and outreach provisions to meet the requirements of Section 42031.6.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026