Trash receptacles and storage containers: reflective markings.

Senator Archuleta's proposal to modify California's trash container safety requirements would revise existing regulations for reflective markings on large roadside receptacles, adjusting compliance deadlines and material specifications for manufacturers and owners.

The legislation modifies current requirements for trash receptacles and storage containers that exceed three feet in length and four feet in height. Under existing law, these containers must display reflectors on each side and include eight strips of specific high-performance retroreflective tape. The new provisions would exempt containers marked with reflectors before January 1, 2025, from the eight-strip requirement, regardless of the reflective material used. This changes the current exemption, which applies only to containers marked before July 1, 2023, and requires specific high-performance retroreflective sheeting.

The measure maintains existing enforcement mechanisms, with violations subject to graduated fines starting at $100 for first offenses and increasing to $1,000 for third and subsequent violations if not corrected within 14 days of notice. These fines continue to fund the Accident Prevention and Road Safety Fund, with enforcement authority vested in the Attorney General, district attorneys, and city attorneys. The requirements apply to manufacturers and private owners but explicitly exclude local governmental entities from the definition of "owner" for enforcement purposes.