BILL NUMBER: AB 1411	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 8, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 1, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 14, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2015

   An act to add and repeal Section 13113.95 of the Health and Safety
Code, relating to fire protection.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1411, as amended, Eduardo Garcia. Fire protection: type 1
clothes dryers.
   Existing law establishes the Office of the State Fire Marshal in
the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and requires the
office to foster, promote, and develop ways and means of protecting
life and property against fire and panic. Existing law requires the
State Fire Marshal to adopt regulations and standards necessary to
control the quality and installation of fire alarm systems and
devices marketed, distributed, offered for sale, or sold in this
state.
   This bill would require, on or before December 31, 2016, the State
Fire Marshal to work with fire service entities, the appliance
industry, disability advocates, and related stakeholders to
accomplish certain things, including gathering information, and
providing  fundings   findings  and
recommendations to the Legislature, regarding fires related to type 1
clothes dryers, as defined, and the dangers of excessive lint.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) Fire safety experts identify excess dryer lint as  one
of the leading causes of   a potential contributing
factor in  residential fires in California each year. 
   (b) A 
    A  2011 report released by the United States Consumer
Product Safety Commission identified fires originating in dryers as
nearly 5 percent of all residential fires occurring annually in the
country.  Experts widely agree   Some experts
believe  that this number is grossly underestimated, however,
because nearly one-half of all fires that originate in dryers are
identified as "electrical fires" rather than being reported as fires
that began in dryers. It is more likely that 10 percent of all
national home fires begin in washers and dryers. 
   (c) 
    (b)  The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA)
reported that in 2006-2010, there were 16,950 home structure fires
per year reported to fire departments throughout the country where
clothes dryers or washing machines were the equipment involved in
ignition, with associated annual losses of 34 civilian deaths, 430
civilian injuries, and $209 million in direct property damage. Dryers
alone accounted for 92 percent of these fires and 87 percent of the
reported deaths. The leading factor contributing to ignition was
failure to clean out the lint buildup. 
   (d) Statistics are not available about the number of home fires in
California, specifically, so it is not possible to calculate what
percentage of California home fires are caused by lint buildup in
dryers. If we consider that 12 percent of the nation's population are
Californians, however, we can imagine the magnitude of California
home fires that likely are caused by lint buildup in clothes dryers.
These fires are entirely preventable. 
   (c) Across the United States, nearly 70 percent of households own
or have access to a clothes dryer. These appliances are relied upon
and are used largely without incident. Clothes dryer manufacturers
have continually worked to improve safety standards based on new
innovations, including work on a recent fire containment standard,
and will continue to do so to reduce potential risks and further
improve consumer safety.  
   (d) The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) has
developed a clothes dryer safety brochure titled "Helpful hints for
using your clothes dryer safely and effectively," which has been
distributed to more than one million appliance owners in the United
States. AHAM makes this important resource available to fire
educators and consumers for free. 
   (e) Lint is a fire hazard. The UL standard, UL2158, specifies in
Section 7.1.2. relating to appliance marking, that an appliance shall
be permanently marked as follows:
   (1) At or near the exhaust opening of the appliance with the word
"CAUTION" and the following statement or the equivalent:

   "Risk of Fire. A clothes dryer produces combustible lint. The
dryer must be connected to an exhaust to the outdoors. See
Installation Instructions."

   (2) On a surface readily visible to the user after installation of
the appliance with the word "CAUTION" and the following statement or
the equivalent:

    "Risk of Fire. A clothes dryer produces combustible lint."

   (f) Lint is a highly combustible material. When it accumulates in
excess in a dryer's filter, heat from the dryer can cause it to
ignite, starting a fire that quickly spreads throughout the house.
Keeping the machine clean, and having it regularly serviced, can help
prevent a dryer fire, but it is hard to tell when a dangerous amount
of lint has built up.  
   (g) 
    (f)  Technology  exists   may exist
 today that  monitors   could indirectly
monitor  the buildup of highly combustible lint  in some
locations  inside the dryer, and  alerts  
alert  consumers when  the technology predicts  
the  accumulation reaches dangerous levels and the dryer
interior requires servicing. Unfortunately, no regulations or
standards currently exist regarding clothes dryers and the
notification of the user when dangerous and excessive lint has built
up in a clothes dryer. 
   (h) Once standards for excessive lint notification systems in
clothes dryers are established by the entities that establish the
standards, it is the intent of Legislature to seek legislation to
adopt the standard and make it a requirement that all dryers sold in
California conform to those standards.  
   (g) If standards for excessive lint notification systems in
clothes dryers are established, it is the intent of the Legislature
to encourage the adoption of the standards and encourage that all
dryers sold in California conform to those standards. 
  SEC. 2.  Section 13113.95 is added to the Health and Safety Code,
to read:
   13113.95.  (a) On or before December 31, 2016, the State Fire
Marshal shall work with fire service entities, the appliance
industry, disability advocates, and related stakeholders to
accomplish all of the following:
   (1) Gather information regarding type 1 clothes dryer-related
fires and the dangers of excessive lint.
   (2) Provide findings and recommendations to the Legislature,
pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, regarding the
information gathered pursuant to paragraph (1).
   (3) Encourage  all   the  appropriate
clothes dryer fire prevention standard setting  entities
  entity  to  establish a  
amend an appropriate voluntary national safety  standard
 regarding the detection of excessive lint and notification
of the excessive lint to the consumer.   to improve fire
safety, and to include provisions based on any recommendations
pursuant to paragraph (2) that will reduce the likelihood of
lint-related clothes dryer fires. 
   (b) For purposes of this section, "type 1 clothes dryer" means an
appliance used in a residential living environment, including one
that is coin-operated for public use in a residential living
environment. "Type 1 clothes dryer" does not include dryers used for
commercial purposes.
   (c) This  repeal  section shall remain in effect
only until January 1, 2017, and as of that date is repealed, unless a
later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2017,
deletes or extends that date.