Legislation
CSLSA Legislative Committee updates:
The CSLSA Legislation Committee continually monitors the California State Legislature for the introduction of new laws--or the amending of existing ones--that are relevant to lifeguards, EMT's, firefighters, peace officers or other emergency personnel. Additionally, the committee will actively provide pertinent information about lifeguards and beach safety to local and state lawmakers who are sponsoring legislation that could impact, either positively or negatively, the profession of lifeguarding.
Current Legislation Impacting Lifeguards
AB 263 - Emergency Medical Services Bill of Rights. Its goal is to regulate rest periods, meal breaks and workplace violence prevention in EMS workplaces. This bill is more of a law in search of a problem. It keeps getting referred back to Committees for significant revisions, and a March 28 hearing was recently postponed.
SB 386 – Banning Smoking in State Parks and Beaches
SB 386, authored by Steve Glazer, D-Orinda would ban cigarette smoking at state parks and beaches, helping to reduce the amount of cigarette butt litter in some of California's most precious places and eliminating a significant source of pollution along our beaches. (Note: AB 725, a similar bill authored by Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-Greenbrae, also passed, but is much weaker than Glazer's legislation.)
Specialty License Plates -- The Legislation chair is still working on "Specialty License Plates". The process includes changing the appropriate Vehicle Code section to instruct the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish the CSLSA license plate. Currently, the committee is awaiting the adoption by CSLSA of an approved image to use on the plates before presenting their proposed legislation to state lawmakers. The chair's package of information will be ready to submit to the California Legislature for the 2018-19 Legislative session.
State of California Court Decision:
James Perry et al., Plaintiffs and Appellants v. East Bay Regional Park District et al., Defendants and Respondents. The opinion of the court establishes new points of law relevant to lifeguards and agencies providing lifeguard services including: (1) A swim fee charged for lifeguarded swimming does not "carry over" to hazardous recreational activity ... since that would defeat the intent of the statute. (2) A lifeguard at a public entity lake has the discretion to go off-duty without clearing the lake as long as he or she takes reasonable precautions to warn patrons of that fact. Click here to view the court proceedings.
Click here to see Proposed Legislation and California Law. (Add new link to live site)
Additional items of interest can be brought to the attention of the California Surf Lifesaving Association by clicking HERE.