Composting facilities: zoning.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide detailed information about what specific entities will be consulted during the development of the technical advisory.

Rules for Composting Facilities

The bill requires the Office of Planning and Research to develop guidelines for composting facilities and asks cities and counties to consider these guidelines when updating their land use plans starting in 2029.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the Office of Planning and Research to create a technical advisory reflecting best practices for siting composting facilities by June 1, 2027.
• The office must consult with the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery when developing these guidelines.
• Asks cities and counties to consider the guidelines when they update their land use plans starting in 2029.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Office of Planning and Research
• Cities and counties in California

Terms To Know

Composting facility

A place where organic waste, like food scraps or yard waste, is turned into soil through a process called composting.

Land use element

Part of a city or county's plan that shows how land should be used for different purposes such as homes, businesses, and waste disposal facilities.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify the exact content of the guidelines.
• It is unclear which specific cities and counties will update their plans based on these guidelines.

Official Summary Text

AB 436, as amended, Ransom.
Composting facilities: zoning.
Existing law provides that the Office of
Planning and Research
Land Use and Climate Innovation
serves the Governor and the Governor’s Cabinet as staff for long-range planning and research, and constitute the comprehensive state planning agency. In that capacity, existing law requires the office to, among other things, assist local governments in land use planning. Existing law, the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, establishes the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery to administer an integrated waste management program. Existing law establishes a goal that statewide landfill disposal of organic waste be reduced from the 2014 level by 75% by 2025.
This bill, on or before June 1, 2027, would require the Office of
Planning and Research,
Land Use and Climate Innovation,
in consultation with the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, to develop and post on the office’s internet website, a technical advisory, as provided, reflecting best practices to facilitate the siting of composting facilities to meet the organic waste reduction goals. The bill would require the office to consult with specified entities throughout the development of the technical advisory.
The Planning and Zoning Law requires each county and city to adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for its physical development, and the development of certain lands outside its boundaries, that includes, among
other mandatory elements, a land use element that designates the proposed general distribution and general location and extent of the uses of the land for housing, business, solid and liquid waste disposal facilities, and other categories of public and private uses of land, as prescribed.
This bill, upon a substantive revision of the land use element, as specified, on or after January 1, 2029, would require a city, county, or city and county to consider, among other things, the best
practices
practices, sample general plan, and model ordinance
reflected in the technical advisory and to consider updating the land use element to identify areas where composting facilities may be appropriate as an allowable use. By increasing duties on a city, county, or city and county, the bill
would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF