BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 990
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 13, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                    AB 990 (Jones) - As Amended:  April 27, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                              Labor and  
          Employment   Vote:                            5-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires ski resorts to prepare and file an annual  
          safety report with the Division of Occupational Safety and  
          Health (DOSH) and to report to the DOSH quarterly on any serious  
          injuries or fatalities involving patrons at the ski resort.  The  
          bill also requires:  

          1)Ski resorts to (a) post the annual safety plan at the ski  
            resort, and include it on the resort's website, (b) establish  
            standardized signage for ski area boundaries and post adequate  
            numbers of safety signs, and (c) use safety padding on all  
            infrastructure on ski runs.

          2)DOSH to utilize the most current safety standards when  
            inspecting aerial passenger tramways operated at ski resorts.
           
          FISCAL EFFECT  

          DOSH estimates that it would require $156,000 for one position  
          and related costs for inspections of ski signage at 30 resorts,  
          and for reviewing safety plans and the quarterly injury report  
          resorts must send to Cal/OSHA.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  . This bill is intended to require improve safety at  
            ski resorts. The author's office contends that California's  
            ski resorts are essentially unregulated. They state there are  
            no provisions requiring specific safety measure, with the  
            exception of inspections of aerial tramways by DOSH.  Signs  
            indicating hazards or dangerous boundaries are not  








                                                                  AB 990
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            standardized and clearly understood, nor is the information  
            regarding the ski resorts safety plans or record of injuries  
            and fatalities readily available to the public.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Brad Williams / APPR. / (916) 319-2081