AB 708: California Youth Football Act: safety equipment.

Existing law, the California Youth Football Act, requires a youth sports organization that conducts a tackle football program to comply with certain requirements, including, among other things, not conducting more than 2 full-contact practices per week during the preseason and regular season, not holding a full-contact practice during the off-season, and having each football helmet reconditioned and recertified every other year, as specified.

This bill would require a youth tackle football league, youth sports organization that conducts a tackle football program, or coach of a youth sports organization to allow youth tackle football participants to use safety equipment, including soft-shell add-ons on football helmets. The bill would authorize a court to grant injunctive relief to remedy a violation or threatened violation of this requirement, and would entitle a prevailing plaintiff who obtains injunctive relief to reasonable attorneys fees and costs.

This bill would prohibit the warranty or safety certification of a football helmet put into play on or after January 1, 2027, with a soft-shell add-on from being voided because of the use of the soft-shell add-on with the football helmet unless certain conditions are met.

The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to ensure that youth football organizations continue to have access to commercially available football helmets, including reconditioned football helmets, and that the attachment of a soft-shell helmet add-on does not, by itself, result in the loss of an otherwise applicable manufacturer warranty or certification designation.