AB987: Bill Text

LRB-5535/1

MCP:skw

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Assembly BILL 987

January 25, 2024 - Introduced by Representative Kitchens, cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk and Cowles. Referred to Committee on Environment.

AB987,1,3 An Act to amend 20.370 (4) (hq) and 287.21 (intro.); and to create 287.25 of the statutes; relating to: education about rechargeable batteries and providing grants for collecting and recycling rechargeable batteries.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law requires the Department of Natural Resources to prepare educational materials about municipal and county solid waste management programs. This bill requires DNR to also prepare educational materials to inform the public about the dangers of rechargeable batteries in the waste and recycling streams and about existing options for properly recycling rechargeable batteries.

The bill also requires DNR to provide grants to responsible units, municipalities, businesses, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of expanding rechargeable battery collection and recycling operations, creating new sites for the collection or recycling of rechargeable batteries, purchasing rechargeable battery collection and shipping kits and equipment for handling damaged or defective rechargeable batteries, and transporting rechargeable batteries to third-party collection and recycling facilities. DNR may provide more than one grant to a single responsible unit, municipality, business, tribal government, or nonprofit organization; however, DNR may not provide a total amount of more than $20,000 to a single collection site.

Under the bill, DNR must also provide grants to solid waste facilities and materials recovery facilities for the purpose of installing, upgrading, or expanding fire detection and suppression systems to address the increased risk of fire due to the presence of rechargeable batteries in the waste and recycling streams. DNR may provide more than one grant to a single solid waste facility or materials recovery facility; however, DNR may not provide a total amount of more than $50,000 to a single solid waste facility or materials recovery facility.

In addition, current law provides an appropriation to DNR from the segregated environmental fund for various environmental programs and for the administration of this state's solid waste reduction, recovery, and recycling programs. The bill allows this appropriation to be used for the existing statewide program to educate government employees, businesses, and the general public about the dangers of rechargeable batteries in the waste and recycling streams and about existing options for proper recycling of such batteries.

Finally, under the bill, DNR must submit a request to the Joint Committee on Finance for supplemental funding, not to exceed $10,000,000, for these purposes.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB987,1 Section 1. 20.370 (4) (hq) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB987,2,4 20.370 (4) (hq) Recycling; administration. From the environmental fund, the amounts in the schedule for the administration of subch. II of ch. 287, other than ss. 287.21 and s. 287.23.

AB987,2 Section 2. 287.21 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB987,3,3 287.21 Statewide education program. (intro.) The department shall collect, prepare, and disseminate information and conduct educational and training programs designed to assist in the implementation of solid waste management and recycling programs under ss. 287.01 to 287.27, ; enhance municipal and county solid waste management and recycling programs under s. 287.09 (2) (a) and; inform the public of the relationship among an individual's consumption of goods and services, the generation of different types and quantities of solid waste, and the implementation of the solid waste management and recycling priorities in s. 287.05 (12); and inform the public about the dangers of rechargeable batteries in the waste and recycling streams and about existing options for proper recycling of such batteries. The department shall prepare the information and programs on a statewide basis for the following groups:

AB987,3 Section 3. 287.25 of the statutes is created to read:

AB987,3,8 287.25 Grants for rechargeable battery recycling. (1) In this section, “rechargeable battery” means a battery that contains one or more voltaic or galvanic cells, electrically connected to produce electric energy, and that is designed to be recharged, including lithium-ion batteries.

AB987,3,13 (2) (a) The department shall create and administer a program to provide grants to expand rechargeable battery recycling and recovery programs. The department shall provide grants under this subsection to responsible units, municipalities, businesses, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations for any of the following purposes:

AB987,3,15 1. For grant recipients that collect and recycle rechargeable batteries, expanding operations and ensuring continued operations.

AB987,3,16 2. Creating new sites for the collection or recycling of rechargeable batteries.

AB987,3,18 3. Purchasing rechargeable battery collection and shipping kits and equipment for handling damaged or defective rechargeable batteries.

AB987,3,20 4. Transporting rechargeable batteries to 3rd-party collection and recycling facilities.

AB987,3,25 (b) The department may provide more than one grant under this subsection to a single responsible unit, municipality, business, tribal government, or nonprofit organization in the same grant cycle. The department may not provide grants under this subsection to a single collection site in a total amount greater than $20,000 in the same grant cycle.

AB987,4,5 (3) (a) The department shall create and administer a program to provide grants to solid waste facilities and materials recovery facilities for the purpose of installing, upgrading, or expanding fire detection and suppression systems to address the increased risk of fire due to the presence of rechargeable batteries in the waste and recycling streams.

AB987,4,8 (b) The department may not provide grants under this subsection to a single solid waste facility or materials recovery facility in a total amount greater than $50,000 in the same grant cycle.

AB987,4 Section 4 . Nonstatutory provisions.

AB987,4,10 (1) Supplemental funding requests.

AB987,4,18 (a) In the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, the department of natural resources shall request under s. 13.101 (3) that the joint committee on finance supplement the appropriation under s. 20.370 (4) (hq) with sufficient funds from the environmental fund for the purpose of providing education to the public under s. 287.21 about the dangers of rechargeable batteries in the waste and recycling streams and about existing options for proper recycling of such batteries. The department shall submit additional such requests as needed for this purpose after the 2023-25 fiscal biennium.

AB987,4,24 (b) In the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, the department of natural resources shall request under s. 13.101 (3) that the joint committee on finance supplement the appropriation under s. 20.370 (4) (hq) with sufficient funds from the environmental fund for the purpose of providing grants under s. 287.25. The department shall submit additional such requests as needed for this purpose after the 2023-25 fiscal biennium.

AB987,5,4 (c) The joint committee on finance may not provide supplements under this subsection in a total amount greater than $10,000,000. The committee may provide supplements under this subsection without finding that an emergency exists under s. 13.101 (3) (a) 1.

AB987,5,5 (End)