All Roll Calls
Yes: 254 • No: 1
ConnecticutHB 050192025 Regular SessionHouse
AN ACT ESTABLISHING EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONSUMER BATTERIES.
Sponsored By: Environment Committee
Signed by Governor
Summary
To establish an extended producer responsibility program for consumer batteries sold and distributed in the state.
environment
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
9 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 4 costs, 2 mixed.
Free battery collection for Connecticut households
Effective October 1, 2025, the law requires free, ongoing statewide collection for covered portable and medium-format batteries of all brands. Collection serves households, businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits; occasional events cannot replace permanent services. Medium-format batteries need qualifying staffed sites; damaged or defective batteries need trained staff at qualifying nonretail sites. Programs need not collect whole products or batteries that only manufacturers can easily remove. Other exclusions include vehicle batteries, free-liquid batteries, lead-acid batteries over 11 pounds, certain medical-device batteries, safety-recalled batteries, and batteries covered by specified existing state laws. Qualifying municipal and waste facilities that request inclusion must be accepted; willing retailers and wholesalers must be included up to plan minimums. Retailers do not have to host collection, and no particular location is guaranteed. Stewardship groups must reimburse local governments' documented collection costs, including labor, accessibility, and storage expenses. Collection sites receive containers, training, signs, safety guidance, and educational materials free.
Shoppers avoid separate battery program fees
Beginning October 1, 2025, retailers, producers, and stewardship groups cannot charge consumers a separate checkout fee for program costs. The ban covers administrative and operating costs of battery stewardship programs. It does not cap battery prices or guarantee that program costs will not affect prices.
Shoppers get battery safety and recycling information
Beginning October 1, 2025, the law requires retailers to give shoppers stewardship-group information about covered-battery collection and disposal options. Groups must supply signs, written information, and promotional materials, maintain a website, and share battery safety guidance. Outreach must fit the languages and cultures of the communities served. Groups must meaningfully consult communities facing disproportionate environmental and social justice impacts. They must survey public awareness in the first program year and every five years afterward, sharing results with the state.
Battery program participants gain legal shields
Producers, retailers, and stewardship groups receive protection from antitrust and unfair-trade claims for actions authorized by the battery stewardship law. This limits those legal claims against program participants. The protection does not cover intentional misrepresentation, fraud, or willful, wanton, or reckless acts.
Battery groups must pay for audits
Stewardship groups must pay for an independent, state-approved full performance audit five years after their program starts. The commissioner can also request full audits, but not more often than once every five years. Full-audit requests require at least 180 days' notice; targeted or limited audits require at least 14 days' notice. Requested full audits are due within 180 days, and targeted audits within 60 days. Audits check program-data accuracy and other requested information while protecting proprietary information and trade or business secrets. Groups must keep program records for at least three years.
Battery producers must fund collection programs
The law requires producers to participate in and fund battery stewardship groups. By January 1, 2027, nonparticipating producers cannot sell covered batteries or products containing them in or into Connecticut. Producer charges must cover collection, transport, processing, recycling, final disposal, education, administration, and state oversight costs. Groups must distribute costs evenly among participating producers and cannot cut or stop services simply because they meet performance goals. Connecticut's environmental agency can charge each group a reasonable annual oversight fee of up to $50,000. Groups can also seek payment from producers for collecting, transporting, or processing their recalled batteries.
Battery programs face deadlines and targets
Stewardship groups must submit statewide plans to Connecticut's environmental agency by July 1, 2026, for approval. Approved programs must start within 180 days after approval. By January 1, 2027, producers or their representatives must report whether they will submit plans alone or jointly. Plans must set three-year collection goals, annual collection targets, and goals for public awareness, convenience, and access. Recycling-efficiency targets must reach at least 70% for nonrechargeable batteries and 60% for rechargeable batteries, measured by weight. Plans must identify transporters and processing facilities, describe final disposal, environmental compliance, liability coverage, and fire and spill safeguards. They must also address damaged or recalled batteries and collection-site suspension or removal; batteries and recovered materials cannot be counted twice.
Clearer battery labels and tighter sales
Beginning January 1, 2028, covered batteries sold in Connecticut, including batteries inside products, must identify their producer. Beginning January 1, 2030, labels must also name the battery chemistry and say not to discard it with household waste. These marking rules exempt batteries less than one-half inch in diameter or without a surface exceeding one-half inch. Producers must verify compliance to customers or retailers, and retailers can rely on that verification. Beginning July 1, 2028, retailers can sell covered batteries and products only when their producer participates in an approved program. Retailers are protected from violations when the state website lists the producer or brand as participating when offered for retail sale.
Public battery reports protect business secrets
Connecticut's environmental agency must publish participating producers and brands, approved plans, plan changes, and annual reports online. Proprietary information submitted under the program is exempt from public disclosure. Reports are due June 1, 2029, and every June 1 afterward, covering the prior calendar year. They must include audit copies, detailed program costs, collection and recycling weights by battery chemistry, recycling methods, and efficiency rates. Reports must also identify processing and final-disposal facilities, amounts sent to each, and domestic facilities' three-year environmental violation histories. They must explain collection results and shortfalls, estimate sales for the prior three years, describe outreach, and provide collection-site maps. Collection rates compare the previous year's collected weight with participating producers' average annual sales weight over the previous three years.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Environment Committee
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/25/2025
JUD Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable)
Yes: 37 • No: 0
House vote • 1/17/2025
ENV Vote Tally Sheet (Vote to Draft)
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 1/17/2025
House Roll Call Vote 155 AS AMENDED
Yes: 147 • No: 0
Senate vote • 1/17/2025
Senate Roll Call Vote 260
Yes: 35 • No: 1
House vote • 1/17/2025
ENV Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable Substitute)
Yes: 35 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Signed by the Governor
6/10/2025legislatureTransmitted by Secretary of the State to Governor
6/9/2025legislatureTransmitted to the Secretary of State
6/5/2025legislaturePublic Act 25-34
6/3/2025legislatureIn Concurrence
5/28/2025legislatureSenate Passed as Amended by House Amendment Schedule A
5/28/2025SenateSenate Adopted House Amendment Schedule A
5/28/2025SenateFile Number 944
5/22/2025legislatureSenate Calendar Number 529
5/22/2025SenateFavorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
5/22/2025SenateHouse Passed as Amended by House Amendment Schedule A
5/20/2025HouseHouse Adopted House Amendment Schedule A 8856
5/20/2025HouseTabled for the Calendar, House
4/28/2025HouseNo New File by Committee on Judiciary
4/28/2025legislatureReported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
4/28/2025legislatureFiled with Legislative Commissioners' Office
4/28/2025legislatureJoint Favorable
4/25/2025legislatureReferred by House to Committee on Judiciary
4/22/2025HouseFile Number 139
3/19/2025legislatureHouse Calendar Number 113
3/19/2025HouseFavorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, House
3/19/2025HouseReported Out of Legislative Commissioners' Office
3/19/2025legislatureReferred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/18/25 5:00 PM
3/13/2025legislatureFiled with Legislative Commissioners' Office
3/3/2025legislatureJoint Favorable Substitute
2/28/2025legislature
Bill Text
Public Act No. 25-34
6/3/2025
File No. 944
5/22/2025
File No. 139
3/19/2025
Committee Bill
2/28/2025
ENV Joint Favorable Substitute
2/28/2025
JUD Joint Favorable
2/28/2025
Proposed Bill
1/8/2025
Bill Analysis For File Copy 139
Bill Analysis For File Copy 944
Bill Analysis for HB-5019, as amended by House "A"
ENV Joint Fav. Rpt
ENV Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable Substitute)
ENV Vote Tally Sheet (Vote to Draft)
Fiscal Note For File Copy 139
Fiscal Note For File Copy 944
Fiscal Note for Amendment LCO 8856 (See Fiscal Note Details)
Fiscal Note for HB-5019, As Amended by House "A" (LCO 8856)
House Roll Call Vote 155 AS AMENDED
House Schedule A LCO# 8856 (D)
JUD Joint Fav. Rpt
JUD Vote Tally Sheet (Joint Favorable)
Senate Roll Call Vote 260
Summary for Public Act No. 25-34
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