(a) Except as provided in Section 18930, the Director of Public Health 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 also shall 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 Public Health. The Director of Public Health 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 Public Health 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 the 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 Public Health shall consider the Camp Standards of the American Camping Association.

(b) The Director of Public Health 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 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 that group.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 664, Sec. 19. Effective January 1, 2009.)