productsafety
AB 1571 would rename kids’ flotation gear in California
AB 1571 keeps the Coast Guard approval rule in place. It would just update the name families and stores are more likely to see on kids’ flotation gear.
California would rewrite one term in its child water-safety rules. The bill changes the label, not the safety standard, for wearable flotation devices sold for infants and children.
- California would update the legal name for kids’ flotation gear.
- "Swim vest" would replace "puddle jumper" in the definition.
- The U.S. Coast Guard approval rule would stay in place.
- The change is aimed at clarity for parents, sellers and regulators.
- California lawmakers are adjusting a small but practical part of child water-safety law
California lawmakers are adjusting a small but practical part of child water-safety law. AB 1571, introduced by Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez, would amend Health and Safety Code Section 116023 so "wearable personal flotation device" includes a lifejacket, puddle jumper, swim vest, water wings, or other flotation device designed to be worn or attached to the body of an infant or child.
For parents and retailers, the change is mostly about language. The bill would replace an older label with the term families are more likely to see on packaging and in stores.
The safety gate stays the same
The underlying restriction would not change. Existing law already bars a person or entity from manufacturing, selling, delivering, distributing, holding or offering for sale wearable personal flotation devices that are not approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
So this is not a broader rewrite of swim-gear rules. It is a narrow definition change inside a rule that already covers flotation devices for infants and children, keeping the state’s safety standard intact while updating the wording.