Skip to main content
S 1270 112th Congress Senate Foreign Trade and International Finance Administrative law and regulatory procedures Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies Business records Computers and information technology Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Hazardous wastes and toxic substances Materials Metals Research administration and funding Solid waste and recycling Trade restrictions

Responsible Electronics Recycling Act

Introduced: June 23, 2011 Introduced by: Whitehouse, Sheldon Democratic · Rhode Island See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 29, 2011
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4173)
Jun 23, 2011
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Jun 23, 2011
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Responsible Electronics Recycling Act - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to: (1) prohibit the export of restricted electronic waste to countries that are not members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) or the European Union (EU), or Liechtenstein; (2) require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and promulgate procedures for identifying certain electronic equipment as well as additional restricted toxic materials contained in such equipment which poses a potential hazard to human health or the environment; and (3) establish criminal penalties for knowingly exporting restricted electronic waste in violation of this Act. Allows certain exceptions to such export ban.

Defines "restricted electronic waste" to include electronic equipment (excluding parts of a motor vehicle), such as computers, televisions, printers, copiers, video game systems, telephones, and similar used electronic products, that contain cathode ray tubes, batteries, switches, and other parts containing lead, cadmium, mercury, organic solvents, hexavalent chromium, beryllium, or other toxic ingredients.

Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require persons who handle restricted electronic wastes to permit appropriate EPA and state officials access to such wastes upon request.

Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish the Rare Earth Materials Recycling Research Initiative to provide grants for research in the recycling of rare earth materials found in electronic devices.

What's happening now June 29, 2011

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4173)

 Committees of jurisdiction 1