Household hazardous waste.

Assembly Member Hadwick's household hazardous waste legislation establishes new protocols for handling confiscated vape pens and streamlines reporting requirements for collection facilities. The bill designates vape pens confiscated by schools as household hazardous waste, allowing schools and their contractors to transport these items to authorized collection facilities under existing hazardous waste transportation rules.

The legislation authorizes household hazardous waste collection facilities to disassemble vape pens to separate batteries, valves, and electronic components containing liquids or gases, provided this is done without unauthorized release of hazardous materials. However, facilities are prohibited from including vape pens in materials exchange programs that make reusable household hazardous products available to recipients.

To reduce administrative burden, the Department of Toxic Substances Control and Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery must develop a consolidated annual reporting document for collection facilities that currently submit separate reports to each department. This unified form will allow facilities to meet both departments' reporting requirements through a single submission while maintaining existing oversight of facility operations and waste management practices.