California Youth Football Act: safety equipment.
Summary
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-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.
Bill status
passed both
4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Jun 2026
Assembly Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Aug 2026
Governor
Introduced Feb 14, 2025
Last action Aug 26, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
08/30/26 - Enrolled
→
AB708
·
1 edit
MINOR
No substantive policy changes occurred between these two versions. The diff reflects a transition from the formal enrolled document format (with signatures, page numbers, and chapter numbering) to a web page rendering of the same bill text. All statutory language, including the legislative intent statement and the new Health and Safety Code section 124241.2, is identical in both versions.
TECHNICAL
The bill text was reformatted from a formal enrolled document (with Chief Clerk, Secretary of Senate, and Governor's Private Secretary signature blocks, page numbers, and chapter number) into a web page layout with navigation menus, version history links, and status information. No changes to the actual statutory language.
Floor votes · Senate Aug 24, 2026 · Assembly Apr 3, 2025
How they voted
39–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
Aug 24, 2026
D
Democratic30
100% Yea
R
Republican10
90% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
21
Key actions
10
Committee
8
Amendments
6
Aug 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0.).
lower
Aug 24, 2026
Introduced
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
lower
Aug 24, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).
upper
Aug 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
upper
Aug 13, 2026
Introduced
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
upper
Jun 15, 2026
Committee
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
upper
Jul 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
upper
Jun 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
upper
Jun 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 11). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
upper
May 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Coms. on HEALTH, JUD. and APPR.
upper
Apr 3, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 1004.)
lower
Mar 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Introduced
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (March 25).
lower
Mar 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (March 18). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
lower
Mar 3, 2025
Committee
Referred to Coms. on A.,E.,S., & T. and JUD.
lower
Feb 15, 2025
Lower · Passed
From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.
lower
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Avelino Valencia
DDemocratic
Co
Akilah Weber Pierson
DDemocratic
Co
Sharon Quirk-Silva
DDemocratic
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