Bill Sponsor
California Assembly Bill 2243
Session 20212022
Occupational safety and health standards: heat illness: wildfire smoke.
Became Law
Became Law
Became Law on Sep 29, 2022
Sponsors
Democrat
Eduardo Garcia
Democrat
Luz M. Rivas
First Action
Feb 16, 2022
Latest Action
Sep 29, 2022
Origin Chamber
Assembly
Type
Bill
Bill Number
2243
State
California
Session
20212022
Sponsorship by Party
Democrat
Author
Democrat
Author
Democrat
Coauthor
Assembly Votes (4)
Senate Votes (4)
Motion Text
AB 2243 Eduardo Garcia Concurrence in Senate Amendments
Summary
Existing law grants the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which is within the Department of Industrial Relations, jurisdiction over all employment and places of employment, with the power necessary to enforce and administer all occupational health and safety laws and standards. 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. Existing law, the California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 (OSHA) , requires employers to comply with certain safety and health standards, as specified, and charges the division with enforcement of the act. Under OSHA, certain knowing, negligent, or willful violations of safety and health standards are punishable as a misdemeanor. The existing Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez heat illness standard provides for the prevention of heat-related illness of employees in outdoor places of employment, as prescribed. There is also an existing standard for workplace protection from wildfire smoke. This bill would require the division, before December 1, 2025, to submit to the standards board a rulemaking proposal to consider revising the heat illness standard and wildfire smoke standard. The bill would require the division, in preparing the proposed regulations, to consider revising the heat illness standard to require employers to distribute copies of the Heat Illness Prevention Plan, as provided. The bill would similarly require a rulemaking proposal to consider revising the wildfire smoke standard, with regard to farmworkers, to reduce the existing air quality index threshold for PM2.5 particulate matter at which control by respiratory protective equipment becomes mandatory for farmworkers. The bill would require the standards board to review the proposed changes and consider adopting revised standards on or before December 31, 2025. The bill would further require the division to consider regulations, or revising existing regulations, relating to protections related to acclimatization to higher temperatures, as provided.
Documents (9)
Sources
Record Created
Feb 17, 2022 12:12:37 PM
Record Updated
Nov 23, 2022 12:24:38 PM