---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 6992"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "6992"
heading: "Scope of demonstration program for medical waste"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/6992"
units:
  - "Chapter 82 — Solid Waste Disposal"
  - "Subchapter X — Demonstration Medical Waste Tracking Program"
---

# §6992. Scope of demonstration program for medical waste

- (a) **Covered States—** The [States](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) within the [demonstration](/usc/42/6903.md?p=2A) program established under this subchapter for tracking [medical wastes](/usc/42/6903.md?p=40) shall be New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, the [States](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) contiguous to the Great Lakes and any [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) included in the program through the petition procedure described in [subsection (c)](#c), except for any of such [States](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) in which the Governor notifies the [Administrator](/usc/42/6903.md?p=1) under [subsection (b)](#b) that such [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) shall not be covered by the program.
- (b) **Opt out—**
  - (1) If the Governor of any [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) covered under [subsection (a)](#a) which is not contiguous to the Atlantic Ocean notifies the [Administrator](/usc/42/6903.md?p=1) that such [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) elects not to participate in the [demonstration](/usc/42/6903.md?p=2A) program, the [Administrator](/usc/42/6903.md?p=1) shall remove such [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) from the program.
  - (2) If the Governor of any other [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) covered under [subsection (a)](#a) notifies the [Administrator](/usc/42/6903.md?p=1) that such [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) has implemented a [medical waste](/usc/42/6903.md?p=40) tracking program that is no less stringent than the [demonstration](/usc/42/6903.md?p=2A) program under this subchapter and that such [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) elects not to participate in the [demonstration](/usc/42/6903.md?p=2A) program, the [Administrator](/usc/42/6903.md?p=1) shall, if the [Administrator](/usc/42/6903.md?p=1) determines that such [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) program is no less stringent than the [demonstration](/usc/42/6903.md?p=2A) program under this subchapter, remove such [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) from the [demonstration](/usc/42/6903.md?p=2A) program.
  - (3) Notifications under paragraphs [(1)](#b-1) or [(2)](#b-2) shall be submitted to the [Administrator](/usc/42/6903.md?p=1) no later than 30 days after the promulgation of regulations implementing the [demonstration](/usc/42/6903.md?p=2A) program under this subchapter.
- (c) **Petition in—** The Governor of any [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) may petition the [Administrator](/usc/42/6903.md?p=1) to be included in the [demonstration](/usc/42/6903.md?p=2A) program and the [Administrator](/usc/42/6903.md?p=1) may, in his discretion, include any such [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31). Such petition may not be made later than 30 days after promulgation of regulations establishing the [demonstration](/usc/42/6903.md?p=2A) program under this subchapter, and the [Administrator](/usc/42/6903.md?p=1) shall determine whether to include the [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31) within 30 days after receipt of the [State](/usc/42/6903.md?p=31)’s petition.
- (d) **Expiration of demonstration program—** The [demonstration](/usc/42/6903.md?p=2A) program shall expire on the date 24 months after the effective date of the regulations under this subchapter.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–272, title II, § 11001, as added Pub. L. 100–582, § 2(a), Nov. 1, 1988, 102 Stat. 2950.)