AB1237 - Swimming pool safety: building codes: condominium units.

Amended IN Senate July 02, 2026 Amended IN Senate June 11, 2026 Amended IN Senate May 29, 2025 Amended IN Assembly April 23, 2025 Amended IN Assembly April 01, 2025 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 1237 Introduced by Assembly Member McKinnor February 21, 2025 An act to amend Sections 18942, 115921, 115922, 115925, 116025, 116049.1, and 116064.2 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public safety. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1237, as amended, McKinnor. Swimming pool safety: building codes: condominium and hotel rooms. units. (1) Existing law, the California Building Standards Law, requires the California Building Standards Commission to publish the California Building Standards Code, which contains, among others, the California Building Code and the California Residential Code, as provided. Existing law requires the commission to publish the text of the Swimming Pool Safety Act in the California Residential Code. This bill would require, on or before March 1, 2027, the commission to also publish the text of the Swimming Pool Safety Act in the California Building Code, as specified. (2) Under the Swimming Pool Safety Act, upon the issuance of a building permit for the construction of a new swimming pool or spa, or the remodeling of an existing pool or spa, at a private, single-family home, the pool or spa is required to be equipped with at least 2 of 7 specified drowning prevention safety features, as provided. The act does not apply to a public swimming pool. This bill would, for purposes of the act, require a swimming pool or spa on or within a private balcony, patio, or terrace of, a condominium unit or hotel room to meet the same requirements as a pool or spa at a private, single-family home. To the extent the bill would increase the number of building permits issued by local jurisdictions, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law governs the construction, operation, and maintenance of a public swimming pool, as defined. Existing law, the Yasmin Paleso’o Memorial Swimming Pool Safety Law, requires an underwater lighting system in a public swimming pool, as defined, to be installed so that there is no shock hazard, as provided. Existing law governs the circulation system of a public swimming pool, as defined, including, but not limited to, requiring antientrapment devices, safety vacuum release systems, or automatic pump shutoff systems, as provided. This bill would exclude a swimming pool or spa on or within a private balcony, patio, or terrace of, a condominium unit or hotel room from these requirements on a public swimming pool. This bill would, on or before March 1, 2027, require the State Department of Public Health to adopt regulations, as necessary, to implement these changes, as specified. The bill would prohibit a swimming pool or spa on or within a private balcony, patio, or terrace of, a condominium unit or hotel room, unit, or at a private single-family home, from being subject to a requirement applicable to a “public swimming pool,” “public pool,” “public pool site,” or “spa,” as those terms are used in certain statutes and regulations relating to public swimming pools and the California Building Code. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 18942 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 18942. (a) (1) The commission shall publish, or cause to be published, editions of the code in its entirety once every three years. In the intervening period the commission shall publish, or cause to be published, supplements as necessary. For emergency building standards defined in Section 18913, an emergency building standards supplement shall be published whenever the commission determines it is necessary. (2) Changes adopted during the intervening period described in paragraph (1) shall be limited to only the following: (A) Technical updates to existing code requirements only to the extent necessary to effectuate support or facilitate the incorporation or implementation of those existing code requirements. The updates shall be limited to clarifying, conforming, or coordinating changes that do not materially alter the substance or intent of the existing code provisions. (B) Emergency building standards. (C) Amendments by the State Fire Marshal to building standards within the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Part 7 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations). (D) The building standards are necessary to incorporate errata or emergency updates to the national model codes specified in Section 18916, along with any necessary and related state amendments supporting or facilitating the incorporation of errata or emergency updates to the model codes. (E) Changes or modifications made pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (b) of Section 17958, paragraph (6) of subdivision (c) of Section 17958.5, or paragraph (6) of subdivision (c) of Section 17958.7. (F) Building standards necessary to incorporate updates to accessibility requirements that align with minimum federal accessibility laws, standards, and regulations. (b) The commission shall publish the text of Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 115920) of Chapter 5 of Part 10 of Division 104, within the requirements for single-family residential occupancies contained in Parts 2 and 2.5 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, with the following note: “NOTE: These regulations are subject to local government modification. You should verify the applicable local government requirements at the time of application for a building permit.” (c) The commission shall publish the text of Section 116064.2 within Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. (d) The commission may publish, stockpile, and sell at a reasonable price the code and materials incorporated therein by reference if it deems the latter is insufficiently available to the public, or unavailable at a reasonable price. Each state department concerned and each city, county, or city and county shall have an up-to-date copy of the code available for public inspection. (e) (1) Each city, county, and city and county, including charter cities, shall obtain and maintain with all revisions on a current basis, at least one copy of the building standards and other state regulations relating to buildings published in Titles 8, 19, 20, 24, and 25 of the California Code of Regulations. These codes shall be maintained in the office of the building official responsible for the administration and enforcement of this part. (2) This subdivision shall not apply to a city or county that contracts for the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this part with another local government agency that complies with this section. SEC. 2. Section 115921 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 115921. For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply: (a) “ANSI/APSP performance standard” means a standard that is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and published by the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP). (b) “Enclosure” means a fence, wall, or other barrier that isolates a swimming pool from access to the home. (c) “Public swimming pool” means a swimming pool operated for the use of the general public with or without charge, or for the use of the members and guests of a private club. “Public swimming pool” does not include either of the following: (1) A swimming pool located on the grounds of a private single-family home. (2) A swimming pool located on or within a private balcony, patio, or terrace of, a condominium unit or hotel room. unit. (d) “Suction outlet” means a fitting or fixture typically located at the bottom or on the sides of a swimming pool that conducts water to a recirculating pump. (e) “Swimming pool” or “pool” means any structure intended for swimming or recreational bathing that contains water over 18 inches deep. “Swimming pool” includes in-ground and aboveground structures and includes, but is not limited to, hot tubs, spas, portable spas, and nonportable wading pools. SEC. 3. Section 115922 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 115922. (a) Except as provided in Section 115925, subject to subdivision (b), and consistent with Section 1596.814, when a building permit is issued for the construction of a new swimming pool or spa or the remodeling of an existing swimming pool or spa on or within a private balcony, patio, or terrace of, a condominium unit or hotel room, unit, or at a private single-family home, the respective swimming pool or spa shall be equipped with at least two of the following seven drowning prevention safety features: (1) An enclosure that meets the requirements of Section 115923 and isolates the swimming pool or spa from the condominium unit, hotel room, unit or private single-family home. (2) Removable mesh fencing that meets the ASTM International F2286 standard in conjunction with a gate that is self-closing and self-latching and can accommodate a key lockable device. (3) A manually operated or power-operated safety pool cover that is accompanied by a label verifying that the cover meets the specifications of the ASTM International F1346-23 standard. (4) Exit alarms on the doors and windows that provide direct access to the swimming pool or spa without any intervening enclosure. Whenever any door or window is opened or left ajar, exit alarms shall make either an audible, continuous alarm sound or a repeating verbal warning, such as a notification that “the door to the pool is open.” An exit alarm may be battery operated or connected to the electrical wiring of the building. (5) A self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above the floor on the doors providing direct access to the swimming pool or spa. (6) An alarm in good repair and operable as designed that, when placed in a swimming pool or spa, will sound upon detection of accidental or unauthorized entrance into the water. The alarm shall meet and be independently certified to the ASTM International F2208 standard that includes surface motion, pressure, sonar, laser, and infrared type alarms. A swimming protection alarm feature designed for individual use, including an alarm attached to a child that sounds when the child exceeds a certain distance or becomes submerged in water, is not a qualifying drowning prevention safety feature. (7) Other means of protection, if the degree of protection afforded is equal to or greater than that afforded by any of the features set forth above and has been independently verified by an approved testing laboratory as meeting standards for those features established by ASTM International, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, or another nationally recognized standards development organization, and the feature is accompanied by a label verifying that the protection meets those standards. (b) The requirements of subdivision (a) are not satisfied by any of the following: (1) An exit alarm and a self-closing, self-latching device on the same door. (2) An exit alarm and a door latch on separate doors. (3) A safety pool cover and an alarm described in paragraph (6) of subdivision (a). (c) Before the issuance of a final approval for the completion of permitted construction or remodeling work, the local building code official shall inspect the drowning safety prevention features required by this section and, if no violations are found, shall give final approval. (d) A swimming pool or spa on or within a private balcony, patio, or terrace of, a condominium unit or hotel room, unit, or at a private single-family home, shall not be subject to a requirement applicable to a “public swimming pool,” “public pool,” “public pool site,” or “spa,” as those terms are used in, including, but not limited to, any of the following: (1) Article 5 (commencing with Section 116025). (2) Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. (3) Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 65501) of Division 4 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. SEC. 4. Section 115925 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 115925. The requirements of this article do not apply to any of the following: (a) A public swimming pool. (b) A hot tub or spa with a locking safety cover that complies with the ASTM International F1346 standard. (c) An apartment complex or any residential setting, except the requirements of this article do apply to a swimming pool or spa on or within a private balcony, patio, or terrace of, a condominium unit or hotel room, unit, or at a private single-family home. SEC. 5. Section 116025 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 116025. (a) For purposes of this article, “public swimming pool” means any public swimming pool, bathhouse, public swimming and bathing place, and all related appurtenances. (b) “Public swimming pool” does not include a swimming pool on or within a private balcony, patio, or terrace of, a condominium unit or hotel room. unit. SEC. 6. Section 116049.1 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 116049.1. (a) For purposes of this section, “public swimming pool” means any swimming pool operated for the use of the general public with or without charge, or for the use of the members and guests of a private club, including any swimming pool located on the grounds of a hotel, motel, inn, an apartment complex, or any residential setting, except “public swimming pool” shall not include either of the following: (1) A swimming pool located on the grounds of a private single-family home. (2) A swimming pool on or within a private balcony, patio, or terrace of, a condominium unit or hotel room. unit. (b) The design and installation of all underwater lighting systems, operating at more than 15 volts, supplied from a branch circuit either directly or by way of a transformer, shall be installed in a public swimming pool, as defined in this section, so that there is no shock hazard with any likely combination of fault conditions during normal use, and shall comply with both of the following requirements: (1) An approved ground-fault circuit interrupter shall be installed in the branch circuit that supplies all fixtures operating at more than 15 volts. (2) Only approved underwater lighting fixtures shall be used and no lighting fixtures shall be installed for operations at more than 150 volts between conductors. (c) Any public swimming pool that does not meet the requirements specified in subdivision (b) s [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]