Pennsylvania HB 1233: An Act amending Title 27 (Environmental Resources) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for portable battery stewardship and establishing requirements for Battery Stewardship Plans; imposing duties on the Department of Environmental Protection; and imposing penalties.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1370 PRINTER'S NO. 2600
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1233
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SIEGEL, OTTEN, STEELE, MADDEN, HILL-EVANS, VITALI,
FREEMAN, SANCHEZ, SAMUELSON, HADDOCK, RIVERA, CIRESI,
SALISBURY, KHAN AND BRENNAN, APRIL 15, 2025
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
NOVEMBER 17, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 27 (Environmental Resources) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, providing for portable battery
stewardship and establishing requirements for Battery
Stewardship Plans; imposing duties on the Department of
Environmental Protection; and imposing penalties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 27 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 67
PORTABLE BATTERY STEWARDSHIP
Sec.
6701. Scope of chapter.
6702. Legislative findings.
6703. Definitions.
6704. Stewardship plans.
6705. Retailers.
6706. Stewardship plan requirements.
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6707. Performance standards.
6708. Funding.
6709. Collection and management requirements.
6710. Education and outreach requirements.
6711. Reporting requirements.
6712. Fee and department role.
6713. Penalties and civil actions.
6714. Marking requirements for batteries.
6715. General battery disposal and collection requirements.
6716. Assessing battery-containing products.
6717. Antitrust.
6718. Other collection of batteries.
§ 6701. Scope of chapter.
This chapter relates to portable battery stewardship.
§ 6702. Legislative findings.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) It is in the public interest of the residents of
this Commonwealth to encourage the recovery and reuse of
materials, including metals, that replace the output of
mining and other extractive industries.
(2) Without a dedicated battery stewardship program
PROGRAMS , battery user confusion regarding proper disposal
options will continue to persist.
(3) Ensuring the proper handling, recycling and end-of-
life management of used batteries prevents the release of
toxic materials into the environment and removes materials
from the waste stream RECYCLING AND WASTE STREAMS that, if
mishandled, may present HEALTH AND safety concerns RISKS to
workers AND THE COMMUNITY , including by POSING THE RISK OF
igniting fires at RECYCLING AND solid-waste-handling
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facilities AND MATERIAL RECOVERY AND METAL RECYCLING
FACILITIES . For this reason, batteries should not be placed
into commingled recycling containers or , disposed of via
traditional garbage collection containers OR SENT TO MATERIAL
RECOVERY AND METAL RECYCLERS .
(4) Jurisdictions around the world have successfully
implemented battery stewardship laws that have helped address
the challenges posed by the end-of-life management of
batteries.
(5) (4) It is difficult for customers to differentiate
between types and chemistries of batteries so it is the best
practice for battery stewardship programs to collect all
battery types and chemistries.
§ 6703. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"ADVANCED BATTERY RECYCLER." AS FOLLOWS:
(1) AN ENTITY OR FACILITY THAT IS AUTHORIZED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OR AN EQUIVALENT AGENCY IN ANOTHER STATE, OR AN
APPLICABLE FEDERAL REGULATORY BODY, AND PERFORMS ONE OR BOTH
OF THE FOLLOWING:
(I) REFINES COVERED BATTERIES OR COVERED BATTERY
MATERIALS BACK TO USEABLE BATTERY MATERIALS.
(II) EXTRACTS AND SEPARATES MATERIALS FROM COVERED
BATTERIES, INCLUDING METAL COMPOUNDS OR INTERMEDIATE
FRACTIONS, AND SENDS THOSE MATERIALS FOR FURTHER
PROCESSING OR REFINING TO ANOTHER ADVANCED BATTERY
RECYCLER.
(2) THE TERM DOES NOT INCLUDE AN ENTITY OR FACILITY THAT
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IS ONLY ENGAGED IN THE COLLECTION OR LOGISTICS OF MOVING
MATERIALS FOR RECYCLING.
"Battery-containing product." A product that contains or is
packaged with rechargeable or primary batteries that are covered
batteries. The term does not include a covered device as defined
by section 102 of the Covered Device Recycling Act.
"Battery stewardship organization." A producer that directly
implements a battery stewardship plan required under this
chapter or a nonprofit THIRD-PARTY organization designated by a
producer or group of producers to implement a battery
stewardship plan required under this chapter.
"Collection rate." A percentage, by weight, of covered
batteries that a battery stewardship organization collects that
is calculated by dividing the total weight of primary and
rechargeable batteries collected during the previous calendar
year by the average annual weight of primary and