Existing law requires the State Public Health Officer to establish rules and regulations establishing minimum standards for organized camps, and regulations governing the operation of organized camps that they determine are necessary to protect the health and safety of the campers. Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal to adopt minimum fire safety regulations for organized camps in accordance with specified law. Existing law establishes specified standards for the operation, regulation, and enforcement of organized camps. Existing law adopts certain definitions for the purposes of these provisions, including a definition for "organized camp" and "camper."
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.

Statutes affected:
AB 933: 18897 HSC, 18897.1 HSC, 18897.2 HSC, 18897.3 HSC, 18897.4 HSC, 18897.6 HSC, 18897.7 HSC
02/19/25 - Introduced: 18897 HSC, 18897.1 HSC, 18897.2 HSC, 18897.3 HSC, 18897.4 HSC, 18897.6 HSC, 18897.7 HSC