AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 5, 2026
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
ASSEMBLY BILLNo. 933
98
Introduced by Assembly Member Ávila Farías
February 19, 2025
An act to amend Sections 18897, 18897.1, 18897.2, 18897.3, 18897.4, 18897.6, and 18897.7 of, and to add Section 18897.8 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to camps. An act to add Section 2656.5 to the Unemployment Insurance Code, relating to disability benefits.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law authorizes the Employment Development Department to administer the unemployment disability compensation benefits program, which provides for the partial compensation for the wage losses suffered by an individual deemed disabled under the program. Existing law provides that an individual is deemed disabled for these purposes on any day in which, because of their physical or mental condition, the individual is unable to perform their regular or customary work, and defines “disability” for that purpose to include, among other things, an illness or injury, whether physical or mental, including any illness or injury resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition.
Existing law specifies that a disabled individual is eligible to receive disability benefits equal to ⅐ of their weekly benefit amount for each full day during which the individual is unemployed due to a disability only if the director finds that, among other things, the individual has made a claim for disability benefits as required by authorized regulations and the individual has filed a certificate of a treating physician or practitioner that establishes, among other things, the sickness, injury, or pregnancy of the employee, as specified. Existing law requires the maximum amount of benefits payable to an individual during any one disability benefit period to be 52 times their weekly benefit amount, as specified, and except as specified.
This bill would, notwithstanding any other law or practice to the contrary, provide that any individual who is deemed disabled on the basis of any illness or injury resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition and is determined to be eligible to receive disability benefits for those purposes is eligible to receive those disability benefits for a period of no less than 12 weeks following childbirth.
Existing law prohibits an organized camp from operating unless the minimum standards for organized camps prescribed in the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized camps, and in other rules and regulations adopted by the Director of Public Health and the State Fire Marshal, are satisfied. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions a misdemeanor.
This bill would rename “organized camp” to “organized residential camp” and make conforming changes. The bill would define “organized day camp” to mean a site where the primary purpose is to provide a group experience with social, spiritual, educational, or recreational objectives, that has programs and facilities attended by 5 or more children 3 to 17 years of age, inclusive, and that operates for more than 3 hours per day for at least 5 days during any 12-month period. The bill would define “living experience” to mean an overnight camp for 5 days or more. The bill would change the definition of “camper” to mean any person in an organized residential camp or an organized day camp on a fee or nonfee basis who is a participant in the regular program and training of an organized residential camp or an organized day camp, and who may take on duties relating to that program and training.
This bill would specify that the rules and regulations relating to organized residential camps adopted by the State Public Health Officer and the State Fire Marshal would also apply to organized day camps, except for those regulations that are applicable to a living experience. The bill would require every local health officer to also enforce within their jurisdiction the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized day camps, as provided. By imposing additional duties on local health officers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would expand the above-described prohibition to operate unless certain minimum building standards are satisfied to organized day camps. The bill would also make any violation of those standards, or of any building standard published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized day camps, or any other rule or regulation adopted by the State Public Health Officer or the State Fire Marshal, as described above, in the operation of organized day camps, a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law requires the Department of Social Services, within a specified time period, to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature regarding approaches for children’s camp health and safety regulation and oversight, and specified recommendations and cost estimates.
This bill would make its provisions pertaining to organized day camps inoperative after the Department of Social Services promulgates regulations pursuant to the above-described report.
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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 2656.5 is added to the Unemployment Insurance Code, to read:
2656.5.
Notwithstanding any other law or practice to the contrary, any individual who is deemed disabled on the basis of any illness or injury resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition and is determined to be eligible to receive disability benefits pursuant to this part for those purposes shall be eligible to receive those disability benefits for a period of no less than 12 weeks following childbirth.
Section 18897 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
18897.
(a) “Organized residential camp” means a site with program and facilities established for the primary purposes of providing an outdoor group living experience with social, spiritual, educational, or recreational objectives, for five days or more during one or more seasons of the year.
(b) The term “organized residential camp” does not include a motel, tourist camp, trailer park, resort, hunting camp, auto court, labor camp, penal or correctional camp and does not include a child care institution or home-finding agency.
(c) The term “organized residential camp” also does not include any charitable or recreational organization that complies with the rules and regulations for recreational trailer parks.
(d) “Organized day camp” means a site where the primary purpose is to provide a group experience with social, spiritual, educational, or recreational objectives, that has programs and facilities attended by five or more children 3 to 17 years of age, inclusive, and that operates for more than three hours per day for at least five days during any 12-month period.
(e) “Living experience” means an overnight camp for five days or more.
SEC. 2.
Section 18897.1 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
18897.1.
“Camper” means any person in an organized residential camp or an organized day camp on a fee or nonfee basis who is a participant in the regular program and training of an organized residential camp or an organized day camp, and who may take on duties relating to that program and training.
SEC. 3.
Section 18897.2 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
18897.2.
(a) Except as provided in Section 18930, the State Public Health Officer shall adopt, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, rules and regulations establishing minimum standards for organized residential camps and regulating the operation of organized residential camps that the State Public Health Officer determines are necessary to protect the health and safety of the campers. Regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall also apply to organized day camps, except for those regulations that are applicable to a living experience. Organized residential camps and organized day camps, when applicable, also shall comply with the building standards of the jurisdiction in which the camp is located, to the extent that those standards are not contrary to, or inconsistent with, the building standards adopted by the State Public Health Officer. The State Public Health Officer shall adopt and submit building standards for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 for the purposes described in this section. The State Department of Public Health shall enforce building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized residential camps and organized day camps, as applicable, and other rules and regulations adopted by the State Public Health Officer pursuant to the provisions of this section as the State Public Health Officer determines are necessary to protect the health and safety of campers. In adopting building standards for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 and in adopting other rules and regulations pursuant to the provisions of this section, the State Public Health Officer shall consider the Camp Standards of the American Camping Association.
(b) The State Public Health Officer shall adopt and submit building standards for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 and shall adopt other rules and regulations pursuant to the provisions of this section establishing minimum standards for intermittent short-term organized residential camps operated by a city or a county as the State Public Health Officer deems necessary to protect the health and safety of campers. For purposes of this subdivision, “intermittent short-term organized residential camp” means a site for camping by any group of people for a period of not more than 72 consecutive hours for that group.
SEC. 4.
Section 18897.3 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
18897.3.
Except as provided in Section 18930, the State Fire Marshal shall adopt minimum fire safety regulations for organized residential camps in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. The State Fire Marshal shall adopt and submit building standards for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 of this division for the purposes described in this section. Regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall also apply to organized day camps, except for those regulations that are applicable to a living experience.
SEC. 5.
Section 18897.4 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
18897.4.
Every local health officer shall enforce within their jurisdiction the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized residential camps and organized day camps, except, for organized day camps, those regulations that are applicable to a living experience, and the other rules and regulations adopted by the State Public Health Officer pursuant to Section 18897.2.
SEC. 6.
Section 18897.6 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
18897.6.
Organized residential camps and organized day camps shall not be subject to regulation by any state agency other than the State Department of Public Health, California regional water quality control boards, the State Water Resources Control Board, and the State Fire Marshal; provided, that this section shall not affect the authority of the Department of Industrial Relations to regulate the wages or hours of employees of organized residential camps or organized day camps and this section shall not be construed to limit the application of building standards published in the State Building Standards Code to structures in organized residential camps and organized day camps.
SEC. 7.
Section 18897.7 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
18897.7.
No organized residential camp or organized day camp shall be operated in this state unless each site or location in which the camp operates satisfies the minimum standards for organized residential camps or organized day camps, when applicable, prescribed in building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized residential camps and organized day camps, and in other rules and regulations adopted by the State Public Health Officer and the State Fire Marshal. Any violation of this section or of any building standard published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized residential camps or organized day camps, as applicable, or any other rule or regulation adopted pursuant to Section 18897.2 or 18897.3 in the operation of organized residential camps or organized day camps, as applicable, is a misdemeanor.
SEC. 8.
Section 18897.8 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:
18897.8.
The provisions of this part pertaining to organized day camps shall become inoperative after the Department of Social Services promulgates regulations pursuant to the report required in Sections 1796.90 and 1796.91.
SEC. 9.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution for certain costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district because, in that regard, this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.
However, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains other costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.