California Assembly Bill AB2146 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2146AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 18, 2014 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 17, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Skinner (Coauthors: Assembly Members Bigelow, Chesbro, Gonzalez, Quirk-Silva, Rodriguez, V. Manuel Prez,  and Waldron   Waldron,   and Wieckowski  ) (Coauthor: Senator Vidak) FEBRUARY 20, 2014 An act to add Section 147.4 to the Labor Code, relating to occupational safety. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2146, as amended, Skinner. Occupational safety: firefighters. The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 provides the Division of Occupational Safety and Health within the Department of Industrial Relations 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. 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. This bill would require the standards board,  within 30 days of the adoption by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) of new standards for firefighters' personal protective equipment,   by January 1, 2016, and every 5 years thereafter,  to  commence   complete a comprehensive  review of existing regulations for personal protective  clothing and  equipment for firefighters to determine if the standards adopted by the  NFPA   National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)  provide a greater degree of personal protection to a firefighter. The bill would require the  standards  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. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 147.4 is added to the Labor Code, to read: 147.4. (a)  Within 30 days of the adoption by the National Fire Protection Association of new standards for firefighters' personal protective equipment, the   The  board shall  commence   complete a comprehensive  review of existing regulations for personal protective  clothing and  equipment for firefighters  by January 1, 2016, and every five years thereafter,  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.