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State. establishes mattress-recycling program & fees
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SACRAMENTO  (AP) — A bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown is designed to deter the illegal dumping of old mattresses and keep them out of landfills by creating a recycling system.

Brown's signature on SB254 by Democratic state Sen. Loni Hancock of Berkeley enacts the Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act. Under the law, the state Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery will oversee an industry-led effort.

A mattress recycling organization will set a fee to fund the program, to be added to the cost of new or renovated mattresses. All manufacturers, retailers and renovators must comply by January 2016.

Retailers also must remove old mattresses at no cost when delivering a new one.

Brown said Friday he wants Hancock to clear up "ambiguous" language related to the department's regulatory authority and budget.