80(R) SB 1324 - House Committee Report version

The bill would establish a computer equipment recycling program requiring computer manufacturers to establish free and convenient programs to collect and recycle their own brand of computers sold to consumers. Retailers would only be allowed to sell brands of computers that appear on a list of manufacturers with recovery programs. The list would be maintained by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). In addition, the TCEQ would be required to educate the public regarding the computer recycling program, maintain program information on a web site, enforce requirements for recycling computer equipment, and compile and issue an annual electronic report to the Legislature. The bill would exempt from the provisions of the bill the sale or lease of computer equipment to a governmental entity when the manufacturer and governmental entity enter into a contract addressing the collection, recycling, and reuse of computer equipment that has reached the end of its useful life.

The bill would provide for penalties against manufacturers, retailers, and recyclersof computer equipment for failing to comply with the provisions of the bill. Penalties collected would be deposited ot the credit of the General Revenue-Dedicated Waste Management Account No. 549.

Although the TCEQ, the DIR, and the TBPC could incur some administrative costs in implementing the provisions of the bill, these costs are not expected to be signficant. Any revenues associated with the bill's penalty provisions are not expected to be significant.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


April 30, 2007

TO:	Honorable Kip Averitt, Chair, Senate Committee on Natural Resources

FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	SB1324 by Watson (Relating to a program for the recycling of computer equipment of consumers in this state; providing administrative penalties. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted