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Recently, SB 217 (Portantino) was “gutted-and-amended,” or amended to strip out the prior contents and replace it with new contents, and could affect those districts that host summer camps or other types of organized activities. Earlier this year, the contents of SB 217 were in SB 955 by the same author, but that measure was stalled by the COVID-19 crisis.

Existing law requires the State Public Health Officer, the State Fire Marshall and local health officials to enforce rules and regulations establishing minimum standards for organized camps. Existing law defines “organized camp,” as a site with a program and facilities established for the primary purposes of providing an out-door group living experience with social, spiritual, educational, or recreational objectives, for 5 days or more during one or more seasons of the year.

SB 217 also defines “recreational camp” as a camp that operates for profit or nonprofit purposes, serves 5 or more children, and operates for at least 5 days during any season, but exempts a licensed daycare facility from the definition of recreational camp.

This bill would require an organized camp and a recreational camp to, among many other things:

• Obtain a license from the local agency of the jurisdiction where the camp is located before operating a camp. It would require the local agency to inspect a camp for compliance with these provisions before issuing a license to operate.
• Require the State Public Health Officer and the State Fire Marshal to adopt rules and regulations governing the operation and minimum fire safety of recreational camps.
• Requires local health officers to enforce building standards and the other rules and regulations of recreational camps and organized camps.
• Establishes the Recreational Camp Safety Advisory Council within the state government to advise and consult on policy matters relating to recreational camps.
• Requires each recreational camp to employ a camp director and health director and for the health director to be a healthcare professional and develop a health care policy for the camp.
• Imposes various age and training requirements and criminal history review on camp counselors, staff, and volunteers. 
• Requires each camp to comply with a specified counselor-to-camper ratios.
• Requires each camp to obtain specified certifications before offering “high-risk” activities.

This measure was inspired by the tragic death of a six-year-old camper who drowned in a summer camp pool in 2019 at an unlicensed camp.

CSDA is currently analyzing this measure, its application to public agencies, if any, and would benefit from your expert input on how this measure might affect your district and the community it serves. Please feel free to contact CSDA Legislative Representative Anthony Tannehill with your feedback at anthonyt@csda.net.