Climate change: short-lived climate pollutants: organic waste reduction.

Agriculture Energy

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Wilson
Last action: 2026-01-27
Official status: In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact nature of the approved technologies and their specifications are not detailed in the official summary.

Reducing Organic Waste for Climate Change

This law allows local areas to count organic material used in farming as part of their goal to reduce waste that causes climate change.

What This Bill Does

Allows local jurisdictions to include organic materials used as beneficial agricultural amendments towards their recovered organic waste procurement target if the materials are processed at a facility authorized by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery using specified approved technologies.
Requires these materials to be licensed for end use as an agricultural fertilizer by the Department of Food and Agriculture.
Excludes materials derived from or processed with activities related to solid waste disposal.
Specifies that the amount of organic material used must be measured based on its dry weight.

Who It Names or Affects

Local jurisdictions
Farmers and agricultural businesses
Organic waste processing facilities

Terms To Know

organic waste: Waste that comes from plants or animals, like food scraps or yard trimmings.
methane emissions reduction goals: Targets set to reduce the amount of methane gas released into the air, which is a type of pollution that contributes to climate change.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how local jurisdictions will be funded for these changes.
It's unclear what specific technologies are approved by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.
There may be additional regulations needed from other departments to fully implement this law.

Bill History

2026-01-27 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2026-01-26 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 60. Noes 4. Page 3837.)
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 1.) (January 22).
2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Page 3806.)
2026-01-15 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-01-14 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2026-01-13 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 1.) (January 12).
2026-01-06 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
2026-01-05 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-04-08 California Legislative Information
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-03-25 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on NAT. RES. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on NAT. RES.
2025-02-14 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
2025-02-13 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 643, as amended, Wilson.
Climate change: short-lived climate pollutants: organic waste reduction.
Existing law establishes methane emissions reduction goals that include a target to reduce landfill disposal of organics by 75% of the 2014 level of the statewide disposal of organic waste by 2025. Existing law requires the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, in consultation with the State Air Resources Board, to adopt regulations to achieve the organic waste reduction goals. Existing law authorizes a local jurisdiction to count compost produced and procured from specified compost operations towards its recovered organic waste procurement target.
This bill would authorize a local jurisdiction to include organic material used as a beneficial agricultural amendment towards its recovered organic waste procurement target if the material is processed at a facility authorized by the department using specified approved technologies,
and
if
the material is licensed for end use as an agricultural fertilizer by the Department of Food and
Agriculture.
Agriculture, as provided, and the material is not derived from, or processed using, specified activities relating to the final deposition or management of solid waste, as provided. The bill would require the amount of the procured materials to be calculated using the dry weight of the materials.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF