House Bill 1504-FN proposes the creation of a paint stewardship program in New Hampshire, which would be managed by a nonprofit organization approved by the Department of Environmental Services. The program's goal is to facilitate the collection, recycling, and proper disposal of post-consumer architectural paint, thereby reducing waste and promoting environmental sustainability. The bill mandates that paint producers participate in the program and contribute to the fees that will fund it. A plan detailing the program's operation, including the collection and processing of discarded paint, must be submitted by January 1, 2025. The bill also introduces a paint stewardship assessment, which will be added to the price of architectural paint sold in the state to finance the program. The assessment rates are capped and subject to annual review, with the initial rates not exceeding $3.50 for cans over one gallon and not less than $0.75 for quantities equal to or less than one pint.

The bill outlines the responsibilities of the stewardship organization, such as providing educational materials, maintaining collection points, and submitting annual reports to the department. Retailers are required to sell only paint from producers participating in the program and may serve as collection points. The fiscal note indicates that the state's financial impact is indeterminate but will result in increased revenue for the Hazardous Waste Cleanup Fund, with expenditures exceeding $87,000 in FY 2024 and increasing in subsequent years. The bill does not provide sufficient funding to cover these estimated expenditures and does not authorize new positions for its implementation. The effective date of the act is July 1, 2024, and the bill includes deletions of language that would have indicated impacts on state, county, and local levels, as well as deletions of provisions for sufficient funding and authorization of new positions.