SB-279
Agriculture & Food

Solid waste: compostable materials.

Engrossed
CA
2025-2026 Regular Session
1
0
Track

Key Takeaways

  • Increases the maximum allowed onsite compost from 100 to 500 cubic yards for permit-exempt operations.
  • Allows composting operations to sell up to 5,000 cubic yards of compost annually, up from 1,000 cubic yards.
  • Exempts large-scale agricultural biomass events like orchard removals from composting permit requirements.
  • Requires agricultural composting operations to maintain material origin records for five years.

Summary

Senator McNerney's composting operations bill aims to expand California's excluded tier for small-scale composting activities by increasing the maximum allowable onsite material from 100 to 500 cubic yards. The legislation also creates a new exclusion for agricultural facilities managing large-scale biomass removal events, such as orchard or vineyard clearing, allowing these operations to proceed without solid waste facility permits for up to 24 months once per decade.

The bill raises the annual limit on compost distribution from 1,000 to 5,000 cubic yards for operations in the excluded tier and certain agricultural composting facilities. For large-scale biomass management events, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery may further increase this distribution cap through regulation. Agricultural facilities utilizing the new biomass event exclusion must maintain five years of records documenting the origin of any additional agricultural materials or manure incorporated into their composting process.

While expanding permit exemptions, the legislation preserves requirements for operations to obtain other necessary authorizations from local health departments and land use authorities. These changes modify existing regulatory tiers established by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery that currently require permits for most composting activities above the 100 cubic yard threshold.

Key Dates

Next Step
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations
Next Step
Assembly Committee
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations
Hearing has not been scheduled yet
Assembly Natural Resources Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Natural Resources Hearing
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate Floor
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate 3rd Reading SB279 McNerney et al
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Do pass as amended
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Placed on suspense file
Senate Environmental Quality Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Environmental Quality Hearing
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Introduced
Senate Floor
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Contacts

Profile
Joaquin ArambulaD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Buffy WicksD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Melissa HurtadoD
Senator
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Lisa CalderonD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Mike FongD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 17 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 4
Select All Legislators
Profile
Joaquin ArambulaD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Buffy WicksD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Melissa HurtadoD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Lisa CalderonD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Mike FongD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Diane DixonR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Gregg HartD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Blanca PachecoD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Gail PellerinD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Kate SanchezR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Tri TaR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Jessica CalozaD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Mark GonzalezD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Heather HadwickR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Jose SolacheD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Jerry McNerneyD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Sade ElhawaryD
Assemblymember
Committee Member

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Jerry McNerney
Jerry McNerneyD
California State Senator
Co-Author
Melissa Hurtado
Melissa HurtadoD
California State Senator
40% progression
Bill has passed all readings in its first house and is ready to move to the other house (5/29/2025)

Latest Voting History

July 7, 2025
PASS
Assembly Committee
Assembly Natural Resources Hearing
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
140014PASS

Key Takeaways

  • Increases the maximum allowed onsite compost from 100 to 500 cubic yards for permit-exempt operations.
  • Allows composting operations to sell up to 5,000 cubic yards of compost annually, up from 1,000 cubic yards.
  • Exempts large-scale agricultural biomass events like orchard removals from composting permit requirements.
  • Requires agricultural composting operations to maintain material origin records for five years.

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Jerry McNerney
Jerry McNerneyD
California State Senator
Co-Author
Melissa Hurtado
Melissa HurtadoD
California State Senator

Summary

Senator McNerney's composting operations bill aims to expand California's excluded tier for small-scale composting activities by increasing the maximum allowable onsite material from 100 to 500 cubic yards. The legislation also creates a new exclusion for agricultural facilities managing large-scale biomass removal events, such as orchard or vineyard clearing, allowing these operations to proceed without solid waste facility permits for up to 24 months once per decade.

The bill raises the annual limit on compost distribution from 1,000 to 5,000 cubic yards for operations in the excluded tier and certain agricultural composting facilities. For large-scale biomass management events, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery may further increase this distribution cap through regulation. Agricultural facilities utilizing the new biomass event exclusion must maintain five years of records documenting the origin of any additional agricultural materials or manure incorporated into their composting process.

While expanding permit exemptions, the legislation preserves requirements for operations to obtain other necessary authorizations from local health departments and land use authorities. These changes modify existing regulatory tiers established by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery that currently require permits for most composting activities above the 100 cubic yard threshold.

40% progression
Bill has passed all readings in its first house and is ready to move to the other house (5/29/2025)

Key Dates

Next Step
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations
Next Step
Assembly Committee
Referred to the Assembly Standing Committee on Appropriations
Hearing has not been scheduled yet
Assembly Natural Resources Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Natural Resources Hearing
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate Floor
Vote on Senate Floor
Senate 3rd Reading SB279 McNerney et al
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Do pass as amended
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Appropriations Hearing
Placed on suspense file
Senate Environmental Quality Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Environmental Quality Hearing
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Introduced
Senate Floor
Introduced
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Latest Voting History

July 7, 2025
PASS
Assembly Committee
Assembly Natural Resources Hearing
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
140014PASS

Contacts

Profile
Joaquin ArambulaD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Buffy WicksD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Melissa HurtadoD
Senator
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Lisa CalderonD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Mike FongD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 17 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 4
Select All Legislators
Profile
Joaquin ArambulaD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Buffy WicksD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Melissa HurtadoD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Lisa CalderonD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Mike FongD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Diane DixonR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Gregg HartD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Blanca PachecoD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Gail PellerinD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Kate SanchezR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Tri TaR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Jessica CalozaD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Mark GonzalezD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Heather HadwickR
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Jose SolacheD
Assemblymember
Committee Member
Profile
Jerry McNerneyD
Senator
Bill Author
Profile
Sade ElhawaryD
Assemblymember
Committee Member