California Amends Its EPR Law for Batteries

On September 20, 2026, Governor Newsom signed California Senate Bill (SB) 501, which amends various portions of California’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for batteries (the Responsible Battery Recycling Act of 2022).

Among other things, SB 501:

• Revises the definition of covered battery to include only certain small format batteries and medium format batteries, which include rechargeable batteries of up to 25 pounds or a 2,000 watt-hour rating and nonrechargeable/primary batteries of up to 25 pounds;
• Revises the definition of covered battery to provide that certain anti-theft and anti-tampering devices do not prevent a battery from being considered a loose battery;
• Specifies the minimum number of collection sites for small format batteries and for medium format batteries;
• Provides authority for CalRecycle to conduct compliance inspections, investigations, and audits; and
• Extends the required record-retention period from three to five years.

California SB 501 can be found here.