Legislation | California Surf Lifesaving Association | California Surf Lifesaving Association

CSLSA Legislative Committee updates:

The CSLSA Legislative Committee continually monitors the California State Legislature and the U.S. Congress for the introduction of new laws that are relevant to ocean and open-water lifeguards, EMT's, firefighters, marine safety officers or other emergency public safety personnel. The goal of the committee is also to actively provide pertinent information about ocean and open-water lifeguards and beach safety initiatives to lawmakers who are sponsoring or supporting legislation that could impact the profession.

The CSLSA will also advocate for its own ideas for legislation when appropriate, such as below.

Ocean and Open-Water Lifeguard Minimum Wage Law

Proposed legislation is being advocated by the California Surf Lifesaving Association to state legislators to address the shortage of qualified lifeguards. (More details on it can be found in the Spring issue of Cal Surf News. Link to CalSurf News Page 15

The legislation is aimed at establishing a minimum wage for professional ocean and open-water lifeguards in California, a group facing major employment challenges. Inadequate compensation has led to an alarming decline in the number of qualified lifeguards, as many are forced to seek better-paying opportunities elsewhere.

The CSLSA believes that legislative action is needed to enhance the recruitment and retention of lifeguards, which will ensure continued public safety for both California residents and tourists.

Advocacy letters have recently been sent by the CSLSA Legislation Committee to key Assembly and Senate lawmakers who in the past have supported issues facing professional ocean and open-water lifeguards.

We will endeavor to set up meetings with interested legislators to gain their support and hopefully begin the process of crafting a Bill.

U.S. House Concurrent Resolution 27 – Recognize Lifeguards as First Responders.

The resolution, authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), formally recognizes ocean and open-water lifeguards with a federal status of “Emergency Response Providers.”

HCR 27 points out that because USLA-certified lifeguards are trained and deployed in emergency medical response, water rescue, marine fire suppression, law enforcement support, and public safety, they clearly qualify for the ERP distinction.

This resolution would:

Ensure lifeguards are consistently prioritized (e.g. “1A” vaccine access in pandemics)
Clarify access to ERP-specific insurance and benefits
Reinforce the legitimacy of our role in national emergency response
Not affect any family’s eligibility for Line of Duty Death Benefits.

Additionally, this resolution:

Costs nothing
Does not alter benefit eligibility for other first responders
Simply provides consistent recognition and support under existing laws

The resolution emphasizes that the USLA is the only national association of open-water lifeguards, setting the standard for training, certification, and emergency response on the nation’s beaches. USLA members respond to emergencies with the same courage and commitment as any other first responder.

CSLSA has begun crafting an outreach campaign targeted primarily to the relevant members of the California delegation who may be interested in supporting the initiative in an effort to gain co-sponsors and supporters for the resolution. CSLSA members will be tasked with contacting local Congressional Representatives as a follow up to those who have been sent the correspondence package about HCR 27.

The California Ocean Lifeguard Beach Safety Specialized License Plate

The California Ocean Lifeguard Beach Safety Specialized License Plate would raise awareness of the many ocean and beach safety initiatives created and advanced by the CSLSA, as well as provide a public safety message encouraging safe beach and ocean practices with its "Always Swim Near A Lifeguard" on-plate message.

It would also be a powerful tool in helping to raise awareness among drivers and the general public about the importance of taking precautions when enjoying our state's beautiful beaches and coastal waters.

In addition to raising awareness, the License Plate would serve as a source of funding for the CSLSA's wide range of public service programs related to ocean and beach safety, rip current awareness and drowning prevention, such as "Always Swim Near A Lifeguard," "Talk To A Lifeguard" and "When in Doubt, Don't Go Out." The funds raised would be used to expand the current outreach initiatives and to create and promote new ones.

A Draft of the Legislation has been prepared, and we are currently seeking a California State Assemblymember or Senator to introduce and sponsor the Bill.

Pending Legislation 2024-2025 Session

Presently, there are a handful of Bills in Committee that are relevant to ocean and open-water lifeguards, EMT's, firefighters, marine safety officers or other emergency public safety personnel. However, the Bills may not advance. If they do leave Committee, we will determine a course of action, such as authoring a letter supporting or objecting to the Legislation.

Additional items of interest can be brought to the attention of the Legislation Committee by emailing legislation@cslsa.org.

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