(a) All new playgrounds open to the public built by a public agency or any other entity shall conform to the playground-related standards set forth by the American Society for Testing and Materials and the playground-related guidelines set forth by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.[1]
(b) Replacement of equipment or modification of components inside existing playgrounds shall conform to the playground-related standards set forth by the American Society for Testing and Materials and the playground-related guidelines set forth by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.
(c) All public agencies operating playgrounds and all other entities operating playgrounds open to the public shall have a playground safety inspector, certified by the National Playground Safety Institute, conduct an initial inspection for the purpose of aiding compliance with the requirements set forth in subdivision (a) or (b), as applicable. Any inspection report may serve as a reference when the upgrades are made, but is not intended for any other use.
(d) Playgrounds installed between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 1999, shall conform to the playground-related standards set forth by the American Society for Testing and Materials and the playground-related guidelines set forth by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission not later than 15 years after the date those playgrounds were installed.
(e) For purposes of this section, all of the following shall apply:
(1) An “entity operating a playground open to the public” includes, but is not limited to, a church, subdivision, hotel, motel, resort, camp, office, hospital, shopping center, day care setting, and restaurant. An “entity operating a playground open to the public” shall not include a licensed children’s residential facility, certified family home or resource family of a licensed foster family agency, resource family approved by a county, or licensed family child care home, which is regulated to meet child safety requirements enforced by the State Department of Social Services.
(2) “Playground” means an improved outdoor area designed, equipped, and set aside for children’s play that is not intended for use as an athletic playing field or athletic court, and shall include any playground equipment, fall zones, surface materials, access ramps, and all areas within and including the designated enclosure and barriers.
(f) Operators of playgrounds in child care centers regulated by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) pursuant to Title 22 of Division 12 of Chapter 1 of the California Code of Regulations and facilities operated for the developmentally disabled, shall comply with the requirements established in this section.
(g) (1) No state funding shall be available for the planning, development, or redevelopment of any playground, unless the playground, after completion of the state-funded project, will conform to the requirements of subdivision (a) or (b), as applicable. However, where state funds have been appropriated to, or allocated for, a playground project prior to the effective date of this section but the section becomes effective prior to the completion of the project, that funding shall be maintained, as long as the playground is altered to conform to the requirements of subdivision (a) or (b), as applicable, to the extent the alterations can be made without adding significantly to the project cost.
(2) After the date by which an entity is required to conform its playground to satisfy requirements of this section, no state funding shall be available for the operation, maintenance, or supervision of the playground unless the playground conforms to the applicable requirements of the section. [2017]
[1] There is a 61-page booklet by the Consumer Product Safety Commission at https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/325.pdf.
