BILL NUMBER: AB 398	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	CHAPTER  215
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
	PASSED THE SENATE  JULY 14, 2011
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 18, 2011
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 12, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Morrell
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member Beth Gaines)

                        FEBRUARY 14, 2011

   An act to add Section 13159.2 to the Health and Safety Code,
relating to fire protection.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 398, Morrell. State Fire Marshal: certification.
   Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to establish
recommended minimum standards for fire protection personnel at all
career levels. Under existing law, the Training Regulations of the
State Fire Marshal establish minimum standards for statewide training
and certification systems for the California fire service. Existing
law allows a state agency or an agency of a political subdivision
within the state to elect to be subject to those standards or to
petition for an alternative to those training and certification
standards.
   This bill would authorize the State Fire Marshal to accept
certification by the United States Department of Defense as a
firefighter, as specified, as an alternative for the fire protection
personnel training and certification standards for the position of
Firefighter I established by the State Fire Marshal.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 13159.2 is added to the Health and Safety Code,
to read:
   13159.2.  (a) For purposes of this section, the State Fire Marshal
shall be referred to as the SFM.
   (b) The SFM may accept certification by the United States
Department of Defense as a firefighter as an alternative for the
basic SFM training and certification standards for the position of
Firefighter I of the California Fire Service Training and Education
Program, if the United States Department of Defense certification is
accompanied by a national certification or accreditation that has
been approved by the SFM and that is based on the International Fire
Service Accreditation Congress, Pro Board, or other accepted
third-party certification standard.
   (c) If the United States Department of Defense certification is
not accompanied by a national certification approved by the SFM, as
described in subdivision (b), the SFM shall follow the verification
process adopted pursuant to the authority provided in Sections 13157
and 13159.