Existing law imposes various requirements with respect to contracting by state and local agencies. If fitness and quality are equal, existing law requires each state agency to purchase certain recycled products instead of nonrecycled products whenever recycled products are available at the same or lesser total cost than nonrecycled products. Existing law vests the Department of Transportation with full possession and control of the state highway system and associated real property.
This bill would require the department to conduct a study to determine if including recycled plastics in asphalt used for a construction and repair project of a state highway is feasible. If the department determines that this use of recycled plastics is feasible, the bill would require the department, when awarding a contract for a construction or repair project of a state highway, to award a preference of an unspecified percentage to a bidder who proposes to use asphalt that includes recycled plastics for the construction or repair project. The bill would declare it to be the goal of the state that, by 2045, the department and each local agency use asphalt that includes recycled plastics in every construction or repair project of a local road or state highway that will use asphalt.

Statutes affected:
SB1238: 1804 SHC
02/20/20 - Introduced: 1804 SHC
03/25/20 - Amended Senate: 1804 SHC
SB 1238: 1804 SHC