(a) The department shall develop a list of approved types of food service packaging that may be used by food service facilities and publish the list on its internet website within 90 days of the Office of Administrative Law approving the regulations adopted by the department pursuant to Section 42370.2. The department shall include on the list only a type of food service packaging that is reusable, recyclable, or compostable, as determined by the regulations adopted by the department pursuant to Section 42370.2.

(b) The department shall regularly, but no less than once every five years, evaluate the list of approved types of food service packaging to determine whether each type of approved food service packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable. After evaluation, the department may amend the list to remove or add a type of food service packaging based on whether it is reusable, recyclable, or compostable. The department shall post any updates to the list on its internet website.

(c) A manufacturer that seeks to have included on the list a type of food service packaging or material may be required by the department to submit data for purposes of the department’s evaluation of whether to include the type of food service packaging or material on the list.

(d) Development of, publication of, and updates made to the list pursuant to this section are exempt from Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 234. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020.)