There is hereby created within the department a recycling financial analysis and policy development unit, to develop, analyze, consolidate, and evaluate economic and policy proposals to carry out the objectives of this division, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(a) Evaluate the solvency of the fund on an ongoing basis in order to make recommendations and report to the Legislature.

(b) Identify the fiscal impacts of proposed recycling programs, or changes to existing recycling programs.

(c) Assess the economic impacts of recycling proposals and programs on the state’s citizens and businesses, including the impact of adding new container types into existing law.

(d) Develop recommendations to better integrate the various recycling alternatives available from state government, local government, and private industry with the objective of reducing recycling costs to citizens and businesses and meeting the 80-percent recycling goal established by this division.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 22, Sec. 158. Effective January 1, 2006.)