Bill Text: CA SB1147 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Drinking water: bottled water: microplastics levels.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-05-21 - In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. [SB1147 Detail]

Download: California-2023-SB1147-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1147

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Introduced by Senator Portantino

February 14, 2024

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An act to add Section 116376.2 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to drinking water.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1147, as introduced, Portantino. Drinking water: bottled water: microplastics levels.

Existing law, the California Safe Drinking Water Act, requires the State Water Resources Control Board to administer provisions relating to the regulation of drinking water to protect public health. Existing law requires the state board to adopt a definition of microplastics in drinking water and to adopt a standard methodology to be used in the testing of drinking water for microplastics and requirements for 4 years of testing and reporting of microplastics in drinking water, including public disclosure of those results.

This bill would require, among other things, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to study the health impacts of microplastics in drinking water, including bottled water, in order to evaluate and identify safe and unsafe levels of microplastics in those types of water, and, on or before January 1, 2026, to develop and deliver to the state board, among other things, public health standards and goals for a safe level of microplastics in those waters. The bill would require the state board, on or before January 1, 2028, to adopt and implement those public health standards and goals developed and delivered by OEHHA, and to provide those public health standards and goals to local water agencies, along with other specified information provided by OEHHA. The bill would also require the state board to establish testing and reporting requirements for an annual testing of microplastics in bottled water sold in or into this state, as specified.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 116376.2 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

116376.2.

 (a) (1) The Office of Environmental Health Hazard and Assessment shall study the health impacts of microplastics in drinking water, including bottled water, to evaluate and identify safe and unsafe levels of microplastics in those types of water.

(2) The office, on or before January 1, 2026, shall develop and deliver to the state board public health standards and goals for a safe level of microplastics in drinking water, including bottled water, and develop and deliver to the state board definitions for the terms “safe level of microplastics” and “unsafe level of microplastics.”

(b) (1) The state board, on or before January 1, 2028, shall adopt and implement the public health standards and goals for a safe level of microplastics in drinking water, including bottled water, developed and delivered by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard and Assessment pursuant to subdivision (a).

(2) The state board shall provide to local water agencies those public health standards and goals and the definitions for “safe level of microplastics” and “unsafe level of microplastics” developed and delivered by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard and Assessment pursuant to subdivision (a).

(c) The state board shall establish testing and reporting requirements for an annual testing of microplastics in bottled water sold in or into this state. The testing and reporting requirements shall apply whether the water is bottled in or outside of the state. The testing requirement shall include methodologies to test for various types of materials within water samples that are sufficient to determine whether the material of the plastic bottle affects the level of microplastics in the bottled water.