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Senate committee delays implementation of battery-stewardship fees, adopts two amendments
Summary
The Senate Appropriations Committee adopted two amendments to Senate Bill 163 that delay implementation of a battery stewardship program and move associated fee collection to later budget years; the bill passed the committee 4–3.
The Senate Committee on Appropriations adopted two amendments to Senate Bill 163 that push back the start of program implementation and the related state spending, and then approved the bill as amended, 4 to 3.
Committee members adopted amendment L009, which delays implementation until the 2027–28 fiscal year so fees can be collected before expenditures begin. Members also adopted amendment L013. After adopting both amendments, the committee passed SB 163 as amended by a recorded vote of 4–3.
Supporters said the delay was intended to allow the newly created battery stewardship organizations to begin collecting fees in earlier years so the program would not require general fund appropriations in FY 2025–26. Senator Ball, who explained the amendments, said the L009 amendment “delays the implementation of this until 2027–28, so that bumps the fiscal note out to two out years.” Senator Ball added the change was intended to “wait until they had collected some fees before they started to expend any money.”
Opponents registered concerns about the fiscal timeline and asked whether the fiscal note had been adjusted to reflect the amendments. Senator Kolker asked whether a revised fiscal analysis would reflect the amendments; sponsors said they had a packet with fiscal analysis but could not confirm whether the fiscal note had been revised in committee.
Vote at a glance: Senators voting aye included Kolker and the chair (recorded in the committee roll call); recorded nay votes produced the 4–3 margin reported on the record.
The committee laid over other bills to the end of the calendar and moved on to the next items once SB 163 was approved.
Notes: The transcript identifies discussion of fee timing, the phrase “battery stewardship organizations,” and the plan to delay enforcement/expenditure until after fee collection; the text does not show a revised fiscal note on the record.
