Georgia CommonsHB 320: Waste management; require recycling of solar panels
Comm Sub version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action March 31, 2026 · Engrossed
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment offered the following substitute to HB 320:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 1 of Article 2 of Chapter 8 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to solid waste management, so as to require the recycling of solar panels; to prohibit the discarding or disposing of solar panels by any manner other than by delivery to a legitimate recycling facility that accepts solar panels for recycling; to provide for exceptions; to provide for definitions; to provide for penalties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Part 1 of Article 2 of Chapter 8 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to solid waste management, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"12-8-28.1.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Legitimate recycling facility' means a recovered materials processing facility or any other recycling center or disposal facility that accepts solar panels for recycling so as to return a significant portion of the materials recovered from such solar panels to commerce as a commodity for use in a beneficial and safe manner and that does not, through its recycling process, adversely impact public health or safety or the environment.
(2) 'Solar panel' means any device that contains a bank of solar cells or other solar energy collection system that when exposed to solar radiation can generate electricity.
(3) 'Solar power facility' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code Section 46-3-67.
(b) No owner or operator of a solar power facility shall discard or dispose of or cause to be discarded or disposed of a solar panel by placing it in a landfill located in this state, by placing it with other municipal solid waste or commercial solid waste that is or will be delivered to a landfill located in this state, or by any other manner except by delivery to a legitimate recycling facility, unless:
(1) No legitimate recycling facility exists within a radius of 250 miles from the location where the solar panels are removed from service; or
(2) All legitimate recycling facilities within 250 miles of the location where the solar panels are removed from service are unable to accept such solar panels within 30 days of a request to deliver such solar panels by the owner or operator.
(c) Any owner or operator of a solar power facility who violates subsection (b) of this Code section shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $20.00 for each offense. For the purposes of this Code section, each solar panel that is discarded or disposed of in violation of subsection (b) of this Code section shall constitute a separate offense. The civil penalty provided for in this subsection shall be recoverable in a civil action brought in any court of competent jurisdiction by the Attorney General or any district attorney."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.