U.S. District Court, Southern District of California. 3:26-cv-01675-WQH-JAC (Judge William Q. Hayes). Filed March 17, 2026. What is challenged, where it stands, and who is actually covered by any relief granted.
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Facts on this page were last verified against primary sources on July 26, 2026. The EPR Atlas is re-checked weekly; this stamp moves only when a verification pass actually runs, not when the site rebuilds.
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California | 3:26-cv-01675-WQH-JAC (Judge William Q. Hayes) | Filed March 17, 2026 verified July 21, 2026
This is a plain reading of where the case stands, not legal advice. If your exposure is material, confirm it with counsel.
SB 343, the Truth in Recycling labeling law, on First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment vagueness grounds. Brought by a coalition that grew from 18 to 21 food, packaging and retail trade associations.
Preliminary injunction granted July 14, 2026, barring the Attorney General from enforcing SB 343 until further order. Four provisions were found unconstitutionally vague and severed, so the 60 percent collection-and-sorting threshold survives on paper while enforcement is paused. No notice of appeal has been reported, though a preliminary injunction is immediately appealable.
Enforcement is paused less than three months before the October 4, 2026 compliance deadline. Because SB 54 relies on SB 343 recyclability criteria to decide what counts as recyclable in California, the ruling reaches beyond labeling into the fee program.
Every filing and order the Atlas has confirmed in this case, in order. Dates marked ahead are scheduled rather than reported.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| March 17, 2026 | Complaint filed by a coalition of 18 food, packaging and retail trade associations, later amended to 21. |
| June 3, 2026 | Preliminary injunction hearing held. |
| July 14, 2026 | Preliminary injunction granted. The court finds four provisions unconstitutionally vague under the Fourteenth Amendment and holds the law fails First Amendment scrutiny under Central Hudson. The four provisions are severed, so the 60 percent collection-and-sorting threshold survives on paper while enforcement is paused. |
| October 4, 2026 scheduled | The SB 343 compliance deadline, now unenforceable pending further order of the court. |
| Pending scheduled | No notice of appeal reported, though a preliminary injunction is immediately appealable under 28 U.S.C. 1292(a)(1). |
Dates are drawn from court filings, orders and firm alerts as reported. Where a docket is not publicly accessible the Atlas relies on secondary reporting and says so.
Last confirmed July 21, 2026. Checked weekly against court records, filings and firm alerts. Where a docket is not publicly accessible the Atlas says so rather than implying a status was re-verified.
Every state guide carries the full fee schedule, registration deadlines, program plan status, eco-modulation detail, statute and rule text, and exemptions.