LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
2025 CPF Sponsored Bills
AB 1181 (Haney): Prohibit PFAS in Firefighter Turnouts
Following the recent adoption of NFPA 1970, legislation will provide authority to Cal OSHA to adopt a more protective standard than what is outlined by NFPA. This more protective standard will ensure that PPE is free not only of PFAS but also regrettable substitutes, such as brominated flame retardants, that may be used by manufacturers as a replacement.
Status: Signed by the Governor on October 6
AB 1181 Prohibit PFAS in Firefighter Turnouts
SB 230 (Laird): Expand Workers' Compensation Presumptions to Include DoD and Industrial Locals
The existing workers’ compensation presumptions do not consistently apply to both federal and industrial locals. SB 230 will close the gap that currently exists for federal firefighters as well as firefighters employed at NASA installations and airports. This measure will ensure that all firefighters who are injured in the line of duty have access to these important protections.
Status: Signed by the Governor on October 6
SB 301 (Grayson): Preventing 1937 Act Exclusions
This measure ensures that agencies that contract with a 1937 Act retirement system are not able to exclude certain classes of employees from their pension plan. This measure extends the protections enacted by AB 2967 (O’Donnell, 2020) that only applied to CalPERS.
Status: Signed by the Governor on October 13
SB 283 (Laird): Battery Energy Storage Facilities
ollowing the recent increase in battery energy storage facility fires, CPF collaborated with the IBEW to strengthen the statewide permitting process. This bill will require that project applicants meet and confer with fire agencies, require fire inspections be a part of the proposed project, and require the Office of the State Fire Marshal to consider facility location during the next update of the building standards.
Status: Signed by the Governor on October 6
AB 841 (Patel): Improving PPE Safety for Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
CPF members are continually responding to fires involving lithium-ion batteries, whether they are vehicles, homes, or large energy storage systems. After a series of injuries, it is clear that more assessment and recommendations are needed on updates to personal protective equipment (PPE), PPE cleaning practices, and health screening when it comes to response to these fires and post-fire practices. This measure will direct the Office of the State Fire Marshal to bring together experts to make recommendations on these core issues in order to enhance protections for firefighters.
Status: Signed by the Governor on October 6
AB 841 Improving PPE Safety for Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
AB 1075 (Bryan): Private Firefighters and Public Resources
This measure would direct the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to update existing regulations for privately contracted fire prevention resources to include a prohibition on them accessing public water supply through fire hydrants unless approved by the Incident Command. This is needed in order to maintain access for public fire agencies during an emergency incident.
Status: Signed by the Governor on October 10
TWO-YEAR BILLS
AB 1383 (McKinnor): Retirement Reform
The Public Employee Pension Reform Act of 2012 (PEPRA) set forth significant changes to the retirement system that impacted all public employees. Now, 13 years later we have seen the impacts of PEPRA and identified necessary changes to protect public employees. As a result, CPF is working with Assemblymember McKinnor on thoughtful reforms to reduce the safety retirement age, adjust formulas, make some elements of PEPRA subject to bargaining, and address the compensation cap. With firefighting labeled as a known carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, it is clear that we need to ensure our policies meet the needs of firefighters.
Status: Two-year bill: Eligible for action in Assembly Appropriations Committee in January of 2026
SB 691 (Wahab): Protecting Patient Privacy
This measure will create policies around the use of body cameras with regards to recording medical and psychiatric evaluations performed by EMTs and paramedics. As a covered provider under HIPAA, EMTs and paramedics are responsible for the reasonable protection of their patients’ private health information until the transfer of their care. The recording of medical or psychological treatment and assessment presents a serious breach of this privacy, compounded by the data retention policies of the agencies in question and the applicability of the California Public Records Act to such recordings.
Status: Two-year bill: Eligible for action in Senate Appropriations Committee in January of 2026