Amended in Assembly March 28, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2146

Introduced by Assembly Member Skinner

February 20, 2014

An act to begin delete amend Section 6307 of end delete begin insert add Section 147.4 to end insert the Labor Code, relating to begin delete employment. end delete begin insert occupational safety. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2146, as amended, Skinner. Occupational begin delete safety. end delete begin insert safety: firefighters. end insert

The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 provides the Division of Occupational Safety and Health begin insert within the Department of Industrial Relations end insert 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. begin insert 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. end insert

This bill would begin delete make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions. end delete begin insert require the standards board, within 30 days of the adoption by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) of new standards for firefighters’ personal protection 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. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 147.4 is added to the end insert begin insert Labor Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 147.4. end insert   

(a) Within 30 days of the adoption by the National Fire
Protection Association of new standards for firefighters’ personal
protection 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.

end insert

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end delete

begin delete

  

end delete

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

Section 6307 of the Labor Code is amended to
read:

6307.  

The division has the power, jurisdiction, and supervision
over every employment and place of employment in this state, that
is necessary to adequately enforce and administer all laws and
lawful standards and orders, or special orders requiring every
employment and place of employment to be safe, and requiring
the protection of the life, safety, and health of every employee in
every employment or place of employment.

end delete