§ 13-2042.01. Landfill disposal fee; rebate to municipality or county; application; Department of Water, Energy, and Environment; materiel division of Department of Administrative Services; municipality; county; duties; suspension or denial of rebate; appeal; rules and regulations.

(1) The department shall rebate to the municipality or county of origin ten cents of the disposal fee required by section 13-2042 for solid waste disposed of at landfills regulated by the department or transported for disposal out of state from a solid waste processing facility holding a permit under the Integrated Solid Waste Management Act and when such solid waste originated in a municipality or county with a purchasing policy approved by the department. The fee shall be rebated on a schedule agreed upon between the municipality or county and the department. The schedule shall be no more often than quarterly and no less often than annually. (2) Any municipality or county may apply to the department for the rebate authorized in subsection (1) of this section if the municipality or county has a written purchasing policy in effect requiring a preference for purchasing products, materials, or supplies which are manufactured or produced from recycled material. The policy shall provide that the preference shall not operate when it would result in the purchase of products, materials, or supplies which are of inadequate quality as determined by the municipality or county. Upon receipt of an application, the department shall submit the application to the materiel division of the Department of Administrative Services for review. The materiel division shall review the application for compliance with this section and any rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this section and to determine the probable effectiveness in assuring that a preference is given to products, materials, or supplies which are manufactured or produced from recycled material. The materiel division shall provide a report of its findings to the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment within thirty days after receiving the review request. The department shall approve the application or suggest modifications to the application within sixty days after receiving the application based on the materiel division's report, any analysis by the department, and any factors affecting compliance with this section or the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this section. (3) A municipality or county shall file a report complying with the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this section with the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment before April 1 of each year documenting purchasing practices for the past calendar year in order to continue receiving the rebate. The report shall include, but not be limited to, quantities of products, materials, or supplies purchased which were manufactured or produced from recycled material. The department shall provide copies of each report to the materiel division in a timely manner. If the department determines that a municipality or county is not following the purchasing policy presented in the approved application or that the purchasing policy presented in the approved application is not effective in assuring that a preference is given to products, materials, or supplies which are manufactured or produced from recycled material, the department shall suspend the rebate until it determines that the municipality or county is giving a preference to products, materials, or supplies which are manufactured or produced from recycled material pursuant to a written purchasing policy approved by the department subsequent to the suspension. The materiel division may make recommendations to the department regarding suspensions and reinstatements of rebates. The Department of Administrative Services may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations establishing procedures for reviewing applications and for annual reports. (4) Any suspension of the rebate or denial of an application made under this section may be appealed. The appeal shall be in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. (5) The council shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations establishing criteria for application procedures, for accepting and denying applications, for required reports, and for suspending and reinstating the rebate. The materiel division shall recommend to the council criteria for accepting and denying applications and for suspending and reinstating the rebate. The materiel division may make other recommendations to the council regarding rules and regulations authorized under this section. History: Laws 1994, LB 1207, § 3; Laws 2009, LB180, § 1; Laws 2010, LB696, § 2; Laws 2019, LB302, § 18; Laws 2025, LB317, § 38.