2005 California Health and Safety Code Sections 18897-18897.7 PART 2.3. CAMPS

18897.  (a) "Organized camp" means a site with program and
facilities establishd 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 nor does it include a child care
institution or home-finding agency.
   (c) The term "organized camp" also does not include any charitable
or recreational organization which complies with the rules and
regulations for recreational trailer parks provided for by
subdivision (b) of Section 18301.
   (d) (1) The term "organized camp" also does not include any camp
site in a county park in a county with a population of more than four
million established pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision
for the purpose of short-term group camping, which is hereby defined
as camping by any group of people for a period of not more than 72
consecutive hours.  The certificate of the director of parks and
recreation of such county shall be conclusive as to the fact that a
camp site has been established for the purpose of short-term group
camping.
   This subdivision shall remain operative only until January 1,
1981, and shall have no force or effect on or after such date, unless
a later enacted statute which is chaptered before January 1, 1981,
deletes or extends such date.
   (2) The exemption of a campsite for short-term group camping
pursuant to this subdivision shall take effect upon adoption of a
resolution of the board of supervisors delegating responsibility for
the establishment and enforcement of appropriate health, safety, and
fire protection and prevention standards for such campsites to
appropriate county health, safety, and fire protection and prevention
officials or agencies.
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.
18897.2.  (a) Except as provided in Section 18930, the Director of
Health Services 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 shall
also 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 Health Services.  The Director of Health Services
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 Health
Services 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 such 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 Health
Services shall consider the Camp Standards of the American Camping
Association.
   (b) The Director of Health Services 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 the 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 such group.
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.
18897.4.  Every local health officer shall enforce within his
jurisdiction the building standards published in the State Building
Standards Code relating to organized camps and the other rules and
regulations adopted by the State Director of Health Services pursuant
to Section 18897.2.
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.
18897.6.  Organized camps shall not be subject to regulation by any
state agency other than the State Department of Health Services,
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.
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
State Director of Health Services 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.