BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2146 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 7, 2014 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Mike Gatto, Chair AB 2146 (Skinner) - As Amended: March 28, 2014 Policy Committee: LaborVote:7-0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No SUMMARY This bill requires the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Standards Board), within 30 days of the adoption by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) of new standards for firefighters' personal protection equipment (PPE), to commence a review of existing regulations for personal protective clothing and equipment for firefighters to determine if the new standards provide a greater degree of protection to a firefighter. The Standards Board shall consider modifying existing regulations if they determine that the NFPA standards provide a greater degree of protection and reflect a new safety standard for firefighters. FISCAL EFFECT 1)Annual costs to the Standards Board in the range of $25,000 to $30,000 to review the NFPA standards. 2)Significant state and local cost pressure, potentially in the millions, if the board determines existing regulations need to be updated. Possible state mandated reimbursable costs for the purchase of new PPE if the regulations are found to constitute a "new program or higher level of service." COMMENTS 1)Purpose . The sponsors of the bill, the California Professional Firefighters, state that it is necessary to ensure that firefighter PPE standards are up-to-date. CalOSHA standards for firefighter head, hand and wrist protections, for example, have not been updated by the Standards Board in over 25 years. Other state firefighting PPE standards, such as respiratory AB 2146 Page 2 and body protections have not been updated by the Standards Board in about 15 years. The sponsors see this bill as a means to reducing the number of job-caused injuries and illnesses sustained by firefighters due to outdated, inadequate PPE. 2)Prior legislation . AB 2184 (De León) of 2008 would have required the Standard Board to review and adopt revised state regulations that are, at a minimum, in conformance with the NFPA PPE standards by December 31, 2009. AB 2148 was held in this committee. Analysis Prepared by : Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916) 319-2081