AB 73 — Health emergencies: employment safety: agricultural workers: wildfire smoke.

Summary

(1) Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health (department) to implement various programs throughout the state relating to public health, including licensing and regulating health facilities and control of infectious diseases. Existing law requires the department and the Office of Emergency Services, in coordination with other state agencies, to, upon appropriation and as necessary, establish a personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile. Existing law requires the department to establish guidelines for the procurement, management, and distribution of PPE, taking into account, among other things, the amount of each type of PPE that would be required for all health care workers and essential workers, as defined, in the state during a 90-day pandemic or other health emergency. This bill would specifically include wildfire smoke events among health emergencies for these purposes. The bill would include agricultural workers, as defined, in the definition of essential workers. Existing law also establishes the Personal Protective Equipment Advisory Committee (committee) , consisting of representatives from, among other groups, an association representing skilled nursing facilities, a statewide association representing physicians, 2 representatives of labor organizations that represent health care workers, and 2 representatives of labor organizations that represent essential workers, as defined, to make recommendations to the department for the development of guidelines for the procurement, management, and distribution of PPE, as specified. This bill would require the committee to include a representative of a labor organization representing agricultural workers and a representative of an organization that represents agricultural employers. The bill would also require the department to report to the Legislature regarding the PPE stockpile within 6 months of the effective date of these provisions. (2) Existing law establishes the Division of Occupational Safety and Health and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board within the Department of Industrial Relations and sets forth their powers and duties relating to the adoption of health and safety standards for workers. Under existing law, certain violations of a standard, order, or special order pursuant to these provisions are crimes. Existing regulations of the division protect employees exposed to wildfire smoke and include control by respiratory protective equipment among the methods to control harmful exposure. This bill would require the division to review and update the contents of the protection from wildfire smoke training and thereafter post it on its internet website. The bill would require that training provided by the employer is required to be in a language and manner readily understandable by employees, taking into account their ethnic and cultural backgrounds and education levels, including the use of pictograms, as necessary. Because a violation of certain safety and health standards or orders constitutes a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 09/27/21 - Chaptered Current pdf September 27, 2021
• Enrolled 09/15/21 - Enrolled pdf September 15, 2021
• Amended 09/03/21 - Amended Senate pdf September 03, 2021
• Amended 08/26/21 - Amended Senate pdf August 26, 2021
• Amended 07/08/21 - Amended Senate pdf July 08, 2021
• Amended 06/29/21 - Amended Senate pdf June 29, 2021
• Amended 06/28/21 - Amended Senate pdf June 28, 2021
• Amended 05/24/21 - Amended Assembly pdf May 24, 2021
• Amended 04/12/21 - Amended Assembly pdf April 12, 2021
• Amended 03/29/21 - Amended Assembly pdf March 29, 2021
• Amended 02/02/21 - Amended Assembly pdf February 02, 2021
• Introduced 12/07/20 - Introduced pdf December 07, 2020
• AB73 View text html

Action History

1. September 27, 2021

   Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 322, Statutes of 2021.

2. September 27, 2021

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 22, 2021

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

4. September 10, 2021

   Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 3144.).

5. September 10, 2021

   In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

6. September 10, 2021

   Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 2603.).

7. September 07, 2021

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

8. September 03, 2021

   Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

9. August 30, 2021

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

10. August 26, 2021

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

11. August 26, 2021

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 26).

12. July 15, 2021

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

13. July 08, 2021

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.

14. July 06, 2021

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 5). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

15. June 29, 2021

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

16. June 28, 2021

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

17. June 24, 2021

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on L., P.E. & R. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.

18. June 09, 2021

    Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and L., P.E. & R.

19. June 02, 2021

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

20. June 01, 2021

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 1749.).

21. May 25, 2021

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

22. May 24, 2021

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

23. May 20, 2021

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (May 20).

24. April 28, 2021

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

25. April 13, 2021

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

26. April 12, 2021

    Read second time and amended.

27. April 08, 2021

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 8).

28. March 30, 2021

    Re-referred to Com. on L. & E.

29. March 29, 2021

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. & E. Read second time and amended.

30. February 03, 2021

    Re-referred to Com. on L. & E.

31. February 02, 2021

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. & E. Read second time and amended.

32. January 11, 2021

    Referred to Com. on L. & E.

33. December 08, 2020

    From printer. May be heard in committee January 7.

34. December 07, 2020

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Santiago · Cosponsor
• Wood · Cosponsor
• Robert Rivas · Primary
• Ash Kalra · Cosponsor
• Anna M. Caballero · Cosponsor
• Cecilia M. Aguiar-Curry · Cosponsor
• Bloom · Cosponsor
• Jeff Gonzalez · Cosponsor
• Robert Garcia · Cosponsor
• Robert Rivas · Cosponsor
• Robert Garcia · Cosponsor
• Mark Stone · Cosponsor

Votes

Subjects