U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California. 2:26-cv-02214 (Judge Dena M. Coggins; Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney). Filed June 22, 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 September 9, 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, Eastern District of California | 2:26-cv-02214 (Judge Dena M. Coggins; Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney) | Filed June 22, 2026 verified August 31, 2026
This is a plain reading of where the case stands, not legal advice. If your exposure is material, confirm it with counsel.
SB 54, brought by a coalition of 17 state attorneys general led by Nebraska with the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors as the sole business plaintiff. Alleges dormant Commerce Clause and First Amendment violations, including a challenge to SB 54’s prohibition on disclosing EPR costs on customer receipts.
Active and moving. On August 19, 2026 the plaintiffs filed a First Amended Complaint and a motion for a preliminary injunction. The court set a hearing on that motion for January 15, 2027 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Coggins, which is after California’s program formally begins on January 1, 2027. The docket is public, not sealed: the earlier 2:26-at-01047 was the district’s temporary pre-assignment placeholder, widely misreported as a sealing designation, and the permanent number 2:26-cv-02214 issued.
No relief has been granted. SB 54 obligations continue unchanged.
Every filing and order the Atlas has confirmed in this case, in order. Dates marked ahead are scheduled rather than reported.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| June 22, 2026 | Complaint filed by 17 state attorneys general led by Nebraska, joined by the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors as the sole business plaintiff. Names CalRecycle Director Zoe Heller and the Circular Action Alliance as defendants. |
| July 2026 | Widely reported as filed under seal. That reading was a misinterpretation of the 2:26-at pre-assignment number, which the district applies to newly received filings before a permanent civil action number issues. The docket is public. |
| August 19, 2026 | First Amended Complaint filed, naming the same 17 states plus NAW. The plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction the same day. |
| January 15, 2027 scheduled | Hearing on the preliminary injunction motion, 1:30 p.m. before Judge Coggins. Note this falls after the California program begins on January 1, 2027. |
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 August 31, 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.
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