During the COVID-19 global pandemic, California quickly experienced a severe supply shortage of personal protective equipment (“PPE”), such as surgical masks, respirators, and eye protection.
SB 275 requires the State Department of Public Health and the Office of Emergency Services, in coordination with other state agencies, to, upon appropriation and as necessary, establish a personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile. AB 275 requires the Department to establish guidelines for the procurement, management, and distribution of PPE, taking into account, among other things, the amount of each type of PPE that would be required for all health care workers and essential workers in the State during a 90-day pandemic or another health emergency. Essential workers as defined by AB 275, include primary and secondary school workers and childcare providers.
(SB 275 adds section 13101021 to the Health and Safety Code and adds section 6403.1 to the Labor Code.)