Pennsylvania Senate Bill SB1317

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/1/26
• Refer: 5/1/26

Caption

In preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in duties of manufacturers and retailers, further providing for sales prohibition, for registration and for manufacturer plan and reporting; and, in administration, further providing for duties of department, for annual report and for enforcement.

Summary

SB1317 amends Pennsylvania’s Covered Device Recycling Act to expand and modernize the state’s electronics recycling program. The bill broadens the definition of covered devices to include additional consumer electronics and networking equipment such as smartphones, tablets, smart watches, e-readers, wireless earbuds/headphones, printers, fax machines, routers, modems, wireless access points, and switches. It also updates several definitions and program terms, including changing the small-business threshold from 50 employees to 100 employees and revising how manufacturers are identified and tracked under the law. The bill also restructures how manufacturers register, report sales, and meet recycling obligations. It replaces the prior weight-based “obligated share” framework with a “market share” and “market share obligation” system tied to estimated national sales data and Pennsylvania population share. Manufacturers would pay tiered annual registration fees based on sales weight, submit annual plans and reports, and face a $2-per-pound payment for unmet recycling obligations. The bill further requires the Department of Environmental Protection to maintain public lists of registered manufacturers and approved recyclers, create an online portal explaining responsibilities, and update annual reporting and enforcement procedures.

Impact

SB1317 would significantly amend the Covered Device Recycling Act by expanding the universe of regulated products, increasing the number of businesses treated as consumers for program purposes, and changing the compliance and fee structure for manufacturers. It shifts more administrative responsibility to the Department of Environmental Protection, including maintaining sales-prohibition lists, estimating market share when data are unavailable, publishing approved recycler lists, and directly enforcing sales prohibitions and other violations. The bill also changes the public reporting framework and delays one infrastructure-related provision until December 31, 2031.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of floor or committee sentiment. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears policy-driven and administrative in nature, with a clear emphasis on strengthening electronics recycling oversight, expanding covered products, and improving enforcement. The inclusion of bipartisan-sounding sponsors suggests the bill may be intended as a broadly acceptable update to an existing recycling program, but the available record does not show formal support or opposition.

Contention

The most likely points of contention are the expanded scope of covered devices, the higher small-business threshold, the new market-share-based compliance model, and the increased registration fees and enforcement authority. Manufacturers and retailers may object to broader reporting obligations, public sales-prohibition lists, and the $2-per-pound payment for unmet recycling targets. Environmental regulators and recycling advocates would likely support the stronger collection goals, broader product coverage, and enhanced DEP oversight. Because no transcripts are available, the specific positions of stakeholders are not documented in the provided record.