BILL ANALYSIS
SB 880
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 880 (Yee)
As Amended August 12, 2010
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :21-13
HEALTH 14-4 JUDICIARY 7-2
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|Ayes:|Monning, Fletcher, |Ayes:|Feuer, Brownley, Evans, |
| |Ammiano, Carter, De La | |Huffman, Jones, Monning, |
| |Torre, De Leon, Eng, | |Saldana |
| |Hayashi, Hernandez, | | |
| |Jones, Bonnie Lowenthal, | | |
| |Nava, V. Manuel Perez, | | |
| |Salas | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Gaines, Smyth, Audra |Nays:|Tran, Knight |
| |Strickland, Gilmore | | |
| | | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Fuentes, Bradford, |
| |Charles Calderon, Coto, |
| |Davis, De Leon, Gatto, |
| |Hall, Skinner, Solorio, |
| |Torlakson, Torrico |
| | |
|-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Conway, Harkey, Miller, |
| |Nielsen, Norby |
| | |
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SUMMARY : Requires any person under 18 years of age to wear a
properly fitted and fastened snow sport helmet, that meets
specified standards, while downhill skiing or snowboarding, or
while riding upon a seat or other device that is attached and
would impose a fine of $25 for a violation of this requirement.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Prohibits persons under 18 years of age from operating snow
SB 880
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skies or a snowboard, or from riding upon a seat or device
attached to snow skies or a snowboard, while downhill skiing
or snowboarding, without a properly fitted and fastened snow
sport helmet meeting specified standards.
2)Establishes a fine of $25 for any violation of this bill.
Dismisses charges against a person for violating this bill, if
the person alleges in court under oath that this is their
first charge.
3)Makes the parent or legal guardian of an unemancipated minor
jointly and severally liable with the minor for the fine.
4)Exempts Nordic skiing (i.e. cross-country) from these
provisions.
5)Provides that this bill does not increase or decrease duties
imposed under existing law.
6)Requires ski resorts to post signs at the resort giving
reasonable notice of specified helmet provisions and provide
notice of the requirement on all trail maps, and resort
Internet Web sites.
7)States that this bill shall become operative only if Assembly
Bill 1652 (Jones) of 2009-10 Regular Session is also enacted.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee this bill contains no specific enforcement or
reporting requirements. Therefore no direct fiscal impact is
created by this bill.
COMMENTS : The author states that California's ski slopes are
perhaps the last area of recreation that lacks basic safety
standards in place for children. Despite repeated warnings from
public health experts, professional athletes, and ski resorts,
each winter brings news of hundreds of unnecessary tragedies for
the failure to wear a helmet. The Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) has found that more than 7,000 head injuries
per year on the slopes in the U.S. could be prevented or reduced
in severity by the use of a helmet. The CPSC study also showed
that for children under 15 years of age, 53% of head injuries
(approximately 2,600 of the 4,950 head injuries annually) are
addressable by use of a helmet. The author states that this
bill can significantly reduce instances of traumatic brain
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injury or death for such a vulnerable population.
Analysis Prepared by : Martin Radosevich / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0005884