(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Firefighter personal protective equipment” means personal protective equipment covered by the general industry safety orders in Sections 3403 to 3411, inclusive, of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.
(2) “Manufacturer” means a person that manufactures, imports, or distributes domestically firefighter personal protective equipment.
(3) “Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances” or “PFAS” means a class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.
(4) “Person” has the same meaning as defined in Section 19 and includes a public entity.
(5) “Public entity” has the same meaning specified in Section 13050.1.
(b) (1) Commencing January 1, 2022, any person, including a manufacturer, that sells firefighter personal protective equipment to any person shall provide a written notice to the purchaser at the time of sale if the firefighter personal protective equipment contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals. The written notice shall include a statement that the firefighter personal protective equipment contains PFAS chemicals and the reason that PFAS chemicals are added to the equipment.
(2) The person selling firefighter personal protective equipment and the purchaser of the equipment shall retain a copy of the written notice on file for at least three years from the date of the transaction. Within 60 days of a request by the Attorney General, a city attorney, a county counsel, or a district attorney, the seller or purchaser of firefighter personal protective equipment shall furnish to the requesting entity the written notice, or a copy of the written notice, and associated sales documentation.
(c) The Attorney General, a city attorney, a county counsel, or a district attorney may request from a manufacturer, and a manufacturer shall provide, a certificate of compliance that certifies that the manufacturer is in compliance with subdivision (b) for that manufacturer’s firefighter personal protective equipment.
(d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), and upon an action brought by the Attorney General, a city attorney, a county counsel, or a district attorney, a person that violates subdivision (b) or (c) shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) for a first violation, and not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each subsequent violation.
(2) An individual firefighter shall not be personally liable for payment of the civil penalty imposed pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) This section does not impair or impede any other rights, causes of action, claims, or defenses available under any other law. The remedies provided in this section are cumulative with any other remedies available under any other law.
(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 308, Sec. 1. (SB 1044) Effective January 1, 2021.)