Existing law describes the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) as a voluntary organization that consists of school and school-related personnel with responsibility for administering interscholastic athletic activities in secondary schools, and sets forth the Legislature’s intent regarding the CIF’s implementation of certain policies. Existing law requires the CIF, in consultation with the State Department of Education, to develop guidelines, procedures, and safety standards for the prevention and management of exertional heat illness. Pursuant to that requirement, the CIF has established Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) thresholds for outdoor practices and contests, including, for among other regions, Region Category 3 where the CIF prohibits outdoor activities at WBGT readings exceeding 92 degrees Fahrenheit.

This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2027, the CIF to revise those guidelines for schools located in extreme desert climates within Region Category 3 to (1) instead permit outdoor practices and contests up to a WBGT of 93.5 degrees Fahrenheit if additional safety measures are implemented and (2) define eligibility for those schools based on objective climatic data, as provided. The bill would authorize the threshold in the guidelines for those schools to be raised above a WBGT of 93.5 degrees Fahrenheit based on updated peer-reviewed research, but would prohibit the threshold from being lowered below a WBGT of 93.5 degrees Fahrenheit.