Household hazardous waste: vape pens.

Assembly Member Hadwick's legislation addresses the disposal of vape pens confiscated from students by requiring the Department of Toxic Substances Control to evaluate safer management practices and authorizing household hazardous waste facilities to disassemble these devices. The department must assess potential designation of confiscated vape pens as universal waste while maintaining compliance with federal resource conservation requirements through January 1, 2029.

The bill permits household hazardous waste collection facilities to conduct physical treatment activities, including the disassembly of vape pens and separation of components like batteries, valves, and electronic parts containing liquids or gases. These activities must occur without unauthorized release of hazardous materials. Public agencies and their contractors operating materials exchange programs, which allow redistribution of reusable household hazardous products, must exclude vape pens from these programs.

Local agencies and school districts implementing these changes will not receive state reimbursement, as the provisions relate to crime definition modifications under California constitutional requirements. The measure maintains existing permit requirements for household hazardous waste collection facilities while adding specific protocols for handling confiscated vape pens within the established hazardous waste management framework.