BILL NUMBER: AB 398CHAPTERED 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.