PART 2.4. CAMPS [18897. - 18897.7.]

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 2.4.

in effect

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18897. Section 18897.

(a) “Organized camp” means a site with program and facilities established for the primary purposes of providing an outdoor group living experience with social, spiritual, educational, or recreational objectives, for five days or more during one or more seasons of the year. (b) The term “organized camp” does not include a motel, tourist camp, trailer park, resort, hunting camp, auto court, labor camp, penal or correctional camp and does not include a child care institution or home-finding agency. (c) The term “organized camp” also does not include any charitable or recreational organization that complies with the rules and regulations for recreational trailer parks.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18897.1. Section 18897.1.

“Camper” means any person in an organized camp on a fee or nonfee basis who is a participant in the regular program and training of an organized camp, and who may take on duties relating to such program and training.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18897.2. Section 18897.2.

(a) Except as provided in Section 18930, the Director of Public Health shall adopt, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, rules and regulations establishing minimum standards for organized camps and regulating the operation of organized camps that the director determines are necessary to protect the health and safety of the campers. Organized camps also shall comply with the building standards of the jurisdiction in which the camp is located, to the extent that those standards are not contrary to, or inconsistent with, the building standards adopted by the Director of Public Health. The Director of Public Health shall adopt and submit building standards for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 for the purposes described in this section. The State Department of Public Health shall enforce building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized camps and such other rules and regulations adopted by such director pursuant to the provisions of this section as the director determines are necessary to protect the health and safety of campers. In adopting building standards for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 and in adopting such other rules and regulations pursuant to the provisions of this section, the Director of Public Health shall consider the Camp Standards of the American Camping Association. (b) The Director of Public Health shall adopt and submit building standards for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 and shall adopt such other rules and regulations pursuant to the provisions of this section establishing minimum standards for intermittent short-term organized camps operated by a city or a county as the director deems necessary to protect the health and safety of campers. For purposes of this subdivision, “intermittent short-term organized camps” means a site for camping by any group of people for a period of not more than 72 consecutive hours for that group.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18897.3. Section 18897.3.

Except as provided in Section 18930, the State Fire Marshal shall adopt minimum fire safety regulations for organized camps in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. The State Fire Marshal shall adopt and submit building standards for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 of this division for the purposes described in this section.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18897.4. Section 18897.4.

Every local health officer shall enforce within his or her jurisdiction the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized camps and the other rules and regulations adopted by the Director of Public Health pursuant to Section 18897.2.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18897.5. Section 18897.5.

The building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to fire and panic safety and the other regulations adopted by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 18897.3 shall be enforced in the same manner as is prescribed by Sections 13145, 13146, and 13146.5 of this code for the enforcement of building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to fire and panic safety and the other regulations that have been formally adopted by the State Fire Marshal for the prevention of fire or for the protection of life and property against fire or panic.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18897.6. Section 18897.6.

Organized camps shall not be subject to regulation by any state agency other than the State Department of Public Health, California regional water quality control boards, the State Water Resources Control Board, and the State Fire Marshal; provided, that this section shall not affect the authority of the Department of Industrial Relations to regulate the wages or hours of employees of organized camps and this section shall not be construed to limit the application of building standards published in the State Building Standards Code to structures in organized camps.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18897.7. Section 18897.7.

No organized camp shall be operated in this state unless each site or location in which the camp operates satisfies the minimum standards for organized camps prescribed in building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized camps, and in other rules and regulations adopted by the Director of Public Health and the State Fire Marshal. Any violation of this section or of any building standard published in the State Building Standards Code relating to organized camps or any other rule or regulation adopted pursuant to Section 18897.2 or 18897.3 in the operation of organized camps is a misdemeanor.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026