Occupational safety: transboundary pollution.

The definition of transboundary pollution was narrowed to specify that pollutants must enter California through the Tijuana River, the Pacific Ocean, or the New River, rather than simply originating from Baja California.

A new geographic limitation requires the standard to apply only to employees who work within a 10-mile radius of the boundary of the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park, the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, the Tijuana River, or the New River. The Senate version had no such geographic restriction.

A provision allowing the standards board to consider additional standards beyond those specified in the bill (for broader protection of employees exposed to transboundary pollution) was removed.

The standard's required components (personal protective equipment, medical surveillance, hazard communication, reporting and recordkeeping, training) changed from mandatory (shall include) to permissive (may include), giving the division more discretion over what the final standard contains.

Responsibility for developing standards, identifying exposure thresholds, and conducting stakeholder consultations shifted from the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The board's role was reduced to review and possible adoption rather than mandatory adoption.

Training requirements were narrowed from general information on regional environmental conditions to specifically workplace hazards relating to regional environmental conditions.

Removed a separate section (old Section 3) that stated the Legislature's intent to direct the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to develop standards or guidelines for worker exposure to contaminated transboundary flows. This intent statement is no longer included as a standalone provision.

Added a new savings clause stating that subdivision (c) does not limit the authority of Cal/OSHA to develop a standard, or the Standards Board to adopt a standard, that is broader in scope or application than required by this section. This preserves existing regulatory flexibility beyond what the bill mandates.

The fiscal committee determination was changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now carries a fiscal impact or state-mandated local program cost that was not previously identified.

Reference in the consultation provision was updated from 'subdivisions (c) and (d)' to 'subdivision (b),' reflecting the restructured subdivision numbering after the savings clause was inserted. There appears to be a drafting error with two subdivisions both labeled (d).

Added a new Section 1 containing six legislative findings (subdivisions a through f) documenting that untreated sewage and industrial wastewater from Baja California contaminates state waters and air in San Diego County, specifically the Tijuana River Valley and county beaches, causing documented health effects in outdoor workers including headaches, nausea, bloody noses, and potential long-term gastrointestinal, skin, respiratory, and neurological disorders.

The bill title was changed from 'An act relating to occupational safety' to 'An act to add Section 6726 to the Labor Code, relating to occupational safety,' reflecting the shift from a general intent statement to a specific codified provision.

Added Labor Code Section 6726(b) requiring Cal/OSHA to propose a standard to the OSH Standards Board on or before January 1, 2030, protecting employees who risk high or prolonged exposure to transboundary pollution in outdoor occupational environments. The standard must apply to lifeguards, park rangers, and other employees the division determines are at high risk.

Added Labor Code Section 6726(c) specifying five required elements of the standard: (1) personal protective equipment including respiratory protection and protective attire, (2) medical surveillance including examination rights and reporting requirements, (3) hazard communication including notice of anticipated wet weather or high-exposure events, (4) reporting and recordkeeping practices including incident forms and data on exposure threshold exceedances and health-related symptoms, and (5) training for employees and supervisors covering regional conditions, health effects, PPE use, and reporting.

Added Section 6726(e) requiring the standards board to consider identifying an exposure threshold for hydrogen sulfide at which acute or chronic health effects occur, and authorizing consideration of thresholds for other relevant pollutants.

Added definitions in Section 6726(a) for 'lifeguard' (person employed by a public entity or the Department of Parks and Recreation), 'park ranger' (person enforcing park rules for a public entity or state parks), and 'transboundary pollution' (environmental pollutants or toxins contaminating state water or air originating from Baja California that threaten public health or safety).

Added Section 6726(g) authorizing the standards board to adopt emergency regulations to implement the section, with a specific finding that such adoption constitutes an emergency under the Administrative Procedure Act for immediate preservation of public health and safety.

Added Section 6726(f) requiring the standards board to consult with lifeguards, park rangers, trade and labor unions, cities, counties, employers, air districts, local environmental and public health agencies, universities, the Department of Parks and Recreation, State Air Resources Board, State Water Resources Control Board, regional water quality control boards, and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

The fiscal committee designation in the digest changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the amended bill now has fiscal implications requiring fiscal committee review.