42053.5. (a) (1) On or before the end of the 2026–27 fiscal year, and once every three months thereafter, a PRO shall pay to the department the California circular economy administrative fee. The department shall set the fee at an amount adequate to cover the department’s and any other state agency’s full costs of implementing and enforcing this chapter. The total amount of fees collected shall not exceed the state’s actual and reasonable costs to implement and enforce this chapter. These costs may include the actual and reasonable costs associated with regulatory activities pursuant to this chapter before submission of producer responsibility plans pursuant to Section 42051.1 and annual reports pursuant to Section 42051.3.
(2) For a PRO, the administrative fee paid pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be funded by the producers that make up the PRO.
(b) The department shall deposit administrative fees paid by a PRO pursuant to subdivision (a) into the California Circular Economy Fund, which is hereby established in the State Treasury. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, moneys in the fund may be expended by the department for the department’s activities pursuant to this chapter and to reimburse any outstanding loans made from other funds used to finance the initial costs of the department’s activities pursuant to this chapter. Moneys in the fund shall not be expended for any purpose not enumerated in this chapter.
(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 75, Sec. 2. (SB 54) Effective January 1, 2023.)