(a) The department shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, establish and administer the Zero-Waste Equity Grant Program as a competitive grant program to support targeted strategies and investments in communities transitioning to a zero-waste circular economy.

(b) Within a year of the appropriation, the department shall conduct at least two public workshops. After conducting the two public workshops, the department shall prepare and adopt guidelines and procedures for evaluating competitive grant applications. The department shall provide an online virtual option for participation in the public workshops. The department shall provide a 30-day notice for each public workshop and consult with interested parties, including affected residents, cities, counties, solid waste haulers, and nonprofit organizations in developing guidelines and procedures.

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(c) Entities eligible for grants include any combination of the following:

(1) Local public agencies.

(2) Cities or counties.

(3) Nonprofit organizations.

(4) Qualifying tribal entities.

(d) In evaluating a grant application, the department shall prioritize communities most impacted by transformation or that contribute to significant amounts of transformation. In doing so, the department shall consider the following:

(1) A community’s proximity to a transformation facility that was in operation on January 1, 2018.

(2) The potential amount of solid waste that is expected to be diverted from transformation facilities through the proposed project.

(3) A community’s proximity to an EMSW facility.

(e) The funding appropriated for the Zero-Waste Equity Grant Program shall be used to fund programs that result in the reuse, repair, and sharing of goods and materials, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Projects that promote the recovery and exchange of household goods, food, clothing, and building materials, such as resource recovery parks.

(2) Projects that repair and extend the life of products, such as electronics, textiles, and furniture.

(3) Projects that facilitate the use and sharing of infrequently used items, such as tools, equipment, books, and other household items.

(4) Projects that promote reusable containers and package-free products and stores.

(f) Grants shall not be provided pursuant to this section for a project that will result in combustion, incineration, energy generation, and fuel production, or any other form of disposal, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 40192.

(g) (1) No later than six months after the conclusion of the funding cycle, the department shall post on its internet website and submit to the Legislature a report on all eligible zero-waste projects funded, including the amount awarded to each project and estimated amount of waste diverted from transformation facilities and landfills by each project, and opportunities for further investments in local zero-waste strategies in communities seeking to reduce their reliance on transformation facilities and landfills.

(2) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with § 9795 of the Government Code.

(h) The department shall not expend more than 5 percent for administrative costs annually related to the Zero-Waste Equity Grant Program.

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 342, Sec. 8. (AB 1857) Effective January 1, 2023.)