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AB-411 • 2026

Livestock carcasses: disposal: composting.

Livestock carcasses: disposal: composting.

Agriculture
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Papan
Last action
Official status
Chaptered
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify the effective date of this law.

Allowing Composting of Livestock Carcasses

This law allows composting parts of livestock carcasses from routine deaths or on-farm processing if specific rules set by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture are followed.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows any part of a livestock carcass resulting from a routine mortality event or on-farm processing to be composted if certain requirements are met.
  • Requires that this composting follows best management practices for livestock composting adopted by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture.
  • Overrides existing rules that generally ban the composting of unprocessed mammalian tissue.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who handle livestock carcasses from routine deaths or on-farm processing
  • The Secretary of Food and Agriculture

Terms To Know

Livestock carcass
A dead animal raised for food.
Routine livestock mortality event
The death of a livestock animal that is not caused by disease outbreaks requiring special handling, as specified in the bill context.
Best management practices
Official rules and methods for composting adopted by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies if specific requirements set by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture are met.
  • Existing laws about transporting dead animals to specified facilities remain in place unless a waiver is granted by the State Veterinarian.
  • The official text provided does not state when this law officially takes effect.

Bill History

  1. California Legislative Information

    Chaptered

Official Summary Text

Livestock carcasses: disposal: composting.