Food and Agricultural Code section 19348.2
(a)
Notwithstanding Section 19348 and regulations adopted by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery pursuant to Section 43020 of the Public Resources Code, including, but not limited to, Section 17855.2 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, any part of a livestock carcass resulting from a routine livestock mortality event or on-farm processing may be composted if all of the following requirements are met:(1)
The composting of the carcass is conducted in accordance with best management practices for livestock composting adopted by the secretary in collaboration with the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery and the State Water Resources Control Board. The best management practices shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following specifications:(A)
Protection protocols for groundwater.(B)
Protection of public health and food supply.(C)
Proper management of compost piles.(D)
Collaboration procedures with local enforcement agencies.(E)
Enforcement and penalties for failing to follow the best management practices.(2)
The total amount of composting material onsite at any one time does not exceed 100 cubic yards, inclusive of livestock carcasses.(3)
All composting material, including livestock carcasses, comes from an agricultural site or sites owned or leased by the owner of the livestock carcasses.(4)
The composting activity occurs on an agricultural site owned or leased by the owner of the livestock carcasses. If the activity occurs on an agricultural site owned or leased by the owner that is not the site where the carcasses were generated:(A)
The activity shall occur in the county in which the carcass was generated or within an adjacent county.(B)
The transport of the carcasses shall comply with all applicable state and local laws and regulations.(5)
After the composting material is converted into cured compost, the cured compost is applied to an agricultural site owned or leased by the owner of the livestock carcasses that produced the cured compost and in compliance with the best management practices adopted pursuant to paragraph (1).(6)
The operator of the composting operation notifies the applicable local enforcement agency and the regional water quality control board of the facility within 30 days of commencing operation, including the location and operator contact information.(b)
For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(1)
“Livestock” means any mammalian animal described in Section 19201.(2)
“On-farm processing” means the slaughter of the livestock under circumstances authorized by subdivision (c) of Section 19020.(3)
“Routine livestock mortality event” means the death of the livestock from a natural cause. “Routine livestock mortality event” does not include any of the following:(A)
The death of the livestock due to being euthanized using barbiturates.(B)
The death of the livestock from a disease listed on the department’s List of Reportable Conditions for Animals and Animal Products published pursuant to Section 9101.(C)
The death of the livestock in a location that is under a quarantine imposed pursuant to Section 9562.
Source:
Section 19348.2, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=FAC§ionNum=19348.2. (updated Jan. 1, 2026; accessed Dec. 22, 2025).
