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: 2025-10-11
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 613, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on enforcement or penalties for violations.

Livestock Carcasses: Composting Rules

This law allows parts of dead farm animals to be composted under certain conditions.

What This Bill Does

Allows the composting of livestock carcass parts from normal animal deaths or on-farm processing if specific rules are followed.
Requires that composting follows best management practices set by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture.

Who It Names or Affects

Farmers who have livestock on their farms.
People or companies that handle dead animal disposal.

Terms To Know

routine livestock mortality event: A normal death of a farm animal, not due to disease outbreaks or unusual circumstances.
on-farm processing: Handling and disposal of dead animals on the same farm where they lived.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if someone violates these composting rules.
It is unclear how this will affect existing regulations about transporting dead animals.

Bill History

2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 613, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-16 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-09 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 3105.).
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2612.).
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-18 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-17 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-16 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (July 16).
2025-07-01 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on E.Q. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
2025-06-11 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on AGRI. and E.Q.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-02 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1826.)
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-05-07 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-24 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 21).
2025-04-03 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
2025-04-02 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-27 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (March 26). Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
2025-02-25 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on AGRI.
2025-02-24 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on AGRI. Read second time and amended.
2025-02-24 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on AGRI. and NAT. RES.
2025-02-05 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 7.
2025-02-04 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 411, Papan.
Livestock carcasses: disposal: composting.
Existing law prohibits a dead animal hauler or any other person from transporting a dead animal to any place, other than to certain specified facilities or destinations, unless a certain waiver is granted by the State Veterinarian, as specified.
Existing law requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to adopt and revise minimum standards for solid waste handling, transfer, composting, transformation, and disposal, as prescribed. Pursuant to this authority, the department has adopted a regulation that prohibits the composting of unprocessed mammalian tissue except when received from certain sources.
This bill would, notwithstanding those prohibitions, authorize any part of a livestock carcass resulting from a routine livestock mortality event or on-farm processing to be composted if
certain requirements are met, including, among others, that the composting is conducted in accordance with best management practices for livestock composting adopted by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, as specified.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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