Firefighter personal protective equipment: perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Existing law requires any person that sells firefighter personal protective equipment to provide written notice to the purchaser if the equipment contains intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) . Existing law requires the seller to retain a copy of the written notice and provide the notice to specified law enforcement entities, including the Attorney General, upon request. Existing law makes a violation of those provisions subject to a penalty of up to $5,000 for a first violation and up to $10,000 for a subsequent violation. This bill, commencing July 1, 2026, would prohibit a person from manufacturing, knowingly selling, offering for sale, distributing for sale, distributing for use, or purchasing or accepting for future use in this state firefighter personal protective equipment containing intentionally added PFAS chemicals. The bill would make a violation of this provision subject to the civil penalty provisions described above. The bill would specify that an individual firefighter shall not be personally liable for payment of the civil penalty. Existing law requires the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, in consultation with the Department of Industrial Relations, every 5 years, as specified, to review all revisions to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards pertaining to personal protective equipment covered by specified safety orders. If the review finds the revisions provide a greater degree of personal protection than the safety orders, existing law requires the board to consider modifying existing safety orders and to render a decision regarding changing safety orders or other standards and regulations to maintain alignment of the safety orders with the NFPA standards no later than July 1 of the subsequent year. This bill would require the board, in consultation with the department, within one year of the NFPA updating a specified standard on protective ensemble for structural firefighting and proximity firefighting to include PFAS-free turnout gear, to update the applicable safety orders, or other standards or regulations, to maintain alignment with the NFPA standard. The bill would state related findings and declarations of the Legislature.