---
type: "Bill"
title: "Beverage containers."
description: "The California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act requires every beverage container sold or offered for sale in this state to have a minimum refund value. Under the act, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery is required to calculate a processing fee for each beverage container with a specified scrap value, which is required to be paid by beverage manufacturers for each beverage container sold or transferred to a distributor or dealer, and requires a processor to pay a certified recycling center or other program the refund value, a percentage of the refund value for administrative costs, and the processing payment. The act provides that a violation of the act or a regulation adopted pursuant to the act is a crime."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20212022"
identifier: "SB 38"
citation: "California SB 38 (20212022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Beverage containers."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Wieckowski"]
version_count: 14
action_count: 40
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2020-12-07"
last_action: "2022-09-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/051dbee0-9e6e-4c03-adc6-db8b4f1c1fee"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38"
source_hash: "d54e28bc7a2c92da84fc7289ca97325c562f0c25407c9e3d914f1654b30e57cb"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California SB 38 (20212022) — Beverage containers.

The California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act requires every beverage container sold or offered for sale in this state to have a minimum refund value. Under the act, the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery is required to calculate a processing fee for each beverage container with a specified scrap value, which is required to be paid by beverage manufacturers for each beverage container sold or transferred to a distributor or dealer, and requires a processor to pay a certified recycling center or other program the refund value, a percentage of the refund value for administrative costs, and the processing payment. The act provides that a violation of the act or a regulation adopted pursuant to the act is a crime.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **12/07/20 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3899INT)
2. **02/12/21 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3898AMD)
3. **02/14/22 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3892AMD)
4. **03/01/21 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3897AMD)
5. **03/17/21 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3896AMD)
6. **05/20/21 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3895AMD)
7. **05/26/21 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3894AMD)
8. **06/20/22 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3891AMD)
9. **06/30/21 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3893AMD)
10. **08/02/22 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3890AMD)
11. **08/15/22 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3889AMD)
12. **09/30/22 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3887CHP)
13. **SB38** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38)
14. **09/01/22 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB38&version=20210SB3888ENR)

## Votes

- That the Assembly amendments be concurred in — **6–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **10–0** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended. — **13–3** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended — **5–2** (pass) · upper
- Placed on suspense file — **7–0** (pass) · upper
- Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] — **5–2** (pass) · upper
- SB 38 Wieckowski Senate Third Reading By Wood — **74–0** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading — **23–8** (pass) · upper
- Unfinished Business SB38 Wieckowski Concurrence — **38–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Wieckowski — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-12-07** Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2020-12-08** From printer. May be acted upon on or after January 7.
- **2021-01-28** Referred to Com. on EQ. `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-12** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-01** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-03** Set for hearing March 15.
- **2021-03-16** From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 500.) (March 15). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-17** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2021-03-19** Set for hearing April 5.
- **2021-04-05** April 5 hearing: Placed on APPR suspense file.
- **2021-05-20** From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 1180.) (May 20). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-05-20** Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2`
- **2021-05-24** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2021-05-26** Read third time and amended. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2021-05-26** Ordered to second reading.
- **2021-05-27** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2021-06-03** Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 23. Noes 8. Page 1413.) Ordered to the Assembly. `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2021-06-03** In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. `reading-1`
- **2021-06-10** Referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-30** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2022-02-14** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2022-06-20** From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on NAT. RES. `amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2022-06-29** Assembly Rule 56 suspended.
- **2022-08-01** From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 27). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-08-01** (Received at desk July 1 pursuant to Joint Rule 61(b)(14)).
- **2022-08-02** Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2022-08-03** August 3 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
- **2022-08-11** From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 13. Noes 3.) (August 11). `amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-08-15** Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. `amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2`
- **2022-08-16** Read second time. Ordered to third reading. `reading-1, reading-2`
- **2022-08-23** Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. `passage, reading-1, reading-3`
- **2022-08-24** In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- **2022-08-25** Re-referred to Com. on RLS pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). `referral-committee`
- **2022-08-25** From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on E.Q. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 5112.) Re-referred to Com. on E.Q. `committee-passage, referral-committee`
- **2022-08-29** Set for hearing August 29.
- **2022-08-29** From committee: That the Assembly amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 5248.) `committee-passage`
- **2022-08-30** Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 5275.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. `amendment-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-09-06** Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
- **2022-09-30** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2022-09-30** Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 977, Statutes of 2022. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/051dbee0-9e6e-4c03-adc6-db8b4f1c1fee`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).