OEHHA Laws and Regulations

General Authority:

As an office within the California Environmental Protection Agency, OEHHA was created under the Governor’s Reorganization Plan of 1991 (GRP-1). Applicable sections of the GRP-1 relating to OEHHA’s general responsibilities and authorities can be found in California Health and Safety Code Sections 59000-59017.

Main Program Areas

Information on laws and regulations related to Proposition 65 can be found on the Proposition 65 Laws and Regulations webpage. Specific statutory authorities relating to OEHHA’s other primary activities are provided below.

Air

Air Toxic Hot Spots:
- Health and Safety Code section 44343 [review of reports]
- Health and Safety Code sections 44360, 44361, and 44362 [risk assessment]
Criteria Pollutants:
- Health and Safety Code section 39668 [monitoring options report]
- Health and Safety Code section 39669.5 [toxic air contaminants lists, control measures]
- Health and Safety Code section 39670 [Scientific Review Panel]
Toxic Air Contaminants:
- Health and Safety Code sections 39660, 39660.5, 39661, and 39662 [evaluating health effects, exposure assessment, reports, hearing notices, proposed regulation, list, contaminants, petition for review]
Epidemiological Studies:
- Health and Safety Code section 39606 [ambient air quality standards]
Indoor Air:
- Health and Safety Code section 39930 [indoor air pollution report]

CalEnviroScreen

California Communities Environmental Health Screening:
- Public Resource Code section 71090 [definitions, indicators screening tool update, report to Legislature]
Environmental Justice:
- Public Resource Code section 71113 [agency-wide environmental justice strategy]

Fish

Fish Advisories:
- Fish and Game Code section 5523 [closures for toxic substances in fish]
- Fish and Game Code section 5654 [marine oil spill closures]
- Water Code section 13177.5 [coastal monitoring and assessment program for sport fish and shellfish]
Oil Spills & Seafood:
- Fish and Game Code section 5654 [marine oil spill closures]
Monitoring Studies
- Water Code section 13177.6 [reassess the geographic boundaries of the commercial fish closure off the Palos Verdes Shelf]

Pesticides

Education and Training:
- Health and Safety Code section 105205 [program of medical education]
Poisoning and Illness Reporting:
- Health and Safety Code section 105200 [reporting pesticide poisoning]
- Health and Safety Code sections 105205, 105206, 105210 [pesticide illness reporting]
- California Code of Regulations Title 17, section 98100 [pesticide illness reporting] (link is external)
Accidental Spill or Release Reporting:
- Health and Safety Code sections 105215, 105220, 105225 [maintenance of file]
Invasive Species:
- Food and Agricultural Code section 5262 [invasive pests plan, analysis of pesticide risks]
Risk Assessment Peer Review:
- Food and Agricultural Code section 11454.1 [pesticide risk assessments; scientific peer review]
Medical Supervision Program:
- Health and Safety Code section 105206 [cholinesterase testing requirements]
- California Code of Regulations Title 3, section 6728 [medical supervision of employees] (link is external)
- California Code of Regulations Title 17, sections 98201 - 98203 [definitions and registration of medical supervisors] (link is external)
Worker Safety:
- Food and Agricultural Code sections 12980-12982 [pesticides and worker safety]
Pesticide Registration and Evaluation:
- Food and Agricultural Code sections 13143, 13148, 13150 [pesticide registration]
- California Code of Regulations Title 3, section 6252 [Pesticide Registration and Evaluation Committee] (link is external)
Other Pesticide Related Programs:
- Plant Quarantine and Pest Control:
  - Food and Agricultural Code section 5771 [evaluation of health risks for aerial application of pesticide in urban areas]
- Agricultural Pest Control Research:
  - Food and Agricultural Code section 12798 [pest management research projects, Pest Management Research Committee, outreach consultation, informational dissemination, and educational services]
  - Food and Agricultural Code section 12798.6 [Pest Science and Technology Screening Committee]
- Birth Defect Prevention:
  - Food and Agricultural Code sections 13126, 13129, 13130.3, 13131.2, 13131.3 [Birth Defect Prevention]
- Emission into Ambient Air (Toxic Air Contaminant):
  - Food and Agricultural Code sections 14022 and 14023 [restricted materials, health hazard assessment]

Risk Assessment

Art Hazards: Toxic Art Supplies in Schools:
- Education Code sections 32064 [purchase of materials containing toxic substance]
- Education Code sections 32065 [warning labels, disclosure of information]
- Education Code sections 32066 [lists of prohibited materials]
Children’s Health: Child-Specific Reference Dose:
- Health and Safety Code sections 900-901 [Children’s Environmental Health Center, child-specific risk assessments]
Environmental Protection Indicators for California (EPIC):
- Public Resources Code section 71080 [legislative findings and declarations]
- Public Resources Code section 71081 [objectives, lead agency]
- Public Resources Code section 71082 [budget change proposals, types of indicators]
California Human Health Screening Levels:
- Health and Safety Code section 57008 [soil and soil-gas screening levels]
School Sites:
- Health and Safety Code section 901(f) [exposure and health risk assessment at school sites]