(a)  No person shall, transport, store, treat, dispose, or cause the treatment or disposal of medical waste in a manner not authorized by his or her permit or registration, this part, or the regulations adopted pursuant to this part.

(b)  Any person who stores, treats, disposes, or causes the treatment or disposal of medical waste in violation of this part or the regulations adopted pursuant to this part is guilty of a public offense as follows:

(1)  For a small quantity generator, a first offense is an infraction and is punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).

(2)  For a person other than a small quantity generator, a first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by up to one year in county jail, or by both the fine and imprisonment.

(c)  A person who is convicted of a second or subsequent violation of subdivision (a) within three years of the prior conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for one, two, or three years, or by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment. This section shall not apply unless any prior conviction is charged in the accusatory pleading and admitted by the defendant or found to be true by the trier of fact. If the defendant is a corporation that operates medical facilities in more than one geographic location, this subdivision shall apply only if the offense involves an adjacent facility involved in the prior conviction.

(d)  Any person who knowingly treats or disposes, or causes the treatment or disposal of, medical waste in violation of this part shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for one, two, or three years, or by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(e)  This section does not apply to a person transporting medical waste who is required to be a registered hazardous waste transporter. Those persons are subject to penalties for violations pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 25180) of Chapter 6.5 of Division 20.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 203. (AB 109) Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68.)