AB708 - California Youth Football Act: safety equipment.

Amended IN Senate August 13, 2026 Amended IN Assembly March 27, 2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 708 Introduced by Assembly Member Valencia (Coauthor: Assembly Member Quirk-Silva) (Coauthor: Senator Weber Pierson) February 14, 2025 An act to add Section 124241.2 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to youth athletics. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 708, as amended, Valencia. 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-shelled 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 attorney’s 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. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. It is 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. SECTION 1. SEC. 2. Section 124241.2 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read: 124241.2. (a) (1) A youth tackle football league, youth sports organization that conducts a tackle football program, or coach of a youth sports organization shall allow youth tackle football participants to use safety equipment, including soft-shelled soft-shell add-ons on football helmets. (b) (2) A court may grant a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, or permanent injunction to remedy a violation or threatened violation of this section. subdivision. (c) (3) A prevailing plaintiff who obtains any remedy specified in subdivision (b) paragraph (2) shall be entitled to an award of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. (b) A warranty or safety certification of a football helmet put into play on or after January 1, 2027, with a soft-shell add-on shall not be voided because of the use of the soft-shell add-on unless both of the following conditions are met: (1) The soft-shell add-on substantially damages the football helmet. (2) The football helmet had a current manufacturer certification at the time immediately preceding the substantial damage to the football helmet.