BILL NUMBER: AB 2146	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 17, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 28, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Skinner
    (   Coauthors:   Assembly Members 
 Bigelow,   Chesbro,   Gonzalez,  
Quirk-Silva,   Rodriguez,   V. Manuel Pérez, 
 and Waldron   ) 
    (   Coauthor:   Senator   Vidak
  ) 

                        FEBRUARY 20, 2014

   An act to add Section 147.4 to the Labor Code, relating to
occupational safety.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2146, as amended, Skinner. Occupational safety: firefighters.
   The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 provides
the Division of Occupational Safety and Health within the Department
of Industrial Relations with all the power, jurisdiction, and
supervision over all employment and places of employment that is
necessary to enforce and administer all occupational health and
safety laws and to protect employees. The Occupational Safety and
Health Standards Board, an independent entity within the department,
has the exclusive authority to adopt occupational safety and health
standards within the state.
   This bill would require the standards board, within 30 days of the
adoption by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) of new
standards for firefighters' personal  protection 
 protective  equipment, to commence review of existing
regulations for personal protective clothing and equipment for
firefighters to determine if the standards adopted by the NFPA
provide a greater degree of personal protection to a firefighter. The
bill would require the board, if it makes that determination in the
affirmative, to consider modifying existing regulations for personal
protective clothing and equipment for firefighters to reflect the
standards adopted by the NFPA as a new safety standard for all
employers of firefighters in the state.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 147.4 is added to the Labor Code, to read:
   147.4.  (a) Within 30 days of the adoption by the National Fire
Protection Association of new standards for firefighters' personal
 protection   protective  equipment, the
board shall commence review of existing regulations for personal
protective clothing and equipment for firefighters to determine if
the standards adopted by the National Fire Protection Association
provide a greater degree of personal protection to a firefighter.
   (b) If the board determines that the standards adopted by the
National Fire Protection Association provide a greater degree of
personal protection to a firefighter, the board shall consider
modifying existing regulations for personal protective clothing and
equipment for firefighters to reflect the standards adopted by the
National Fire Protection Association as a new safety standard for all
employers of firefighters in the state.