It looks as though the third time might be the charm for the state of California when it comes to tattoo shop regulations. A bill put forth by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma had previously been vetoed by then California state governor Arnold Schwarzennegger, who felt that:
‘”it is not appropriate to tell tattoo artists through the statute how to wash their hands and fold their trash bags one inch over the rim of a trashcan.”‘
Of course, Schwarzennegger’s statements on the bill were little more than grossly oversimplified and uninformed ramblings, but they did lead to the bill being vetoed twice, most recently in late September of 2010. Now, as of February 2011, the bill is back on the table and this time it looks as though it very well could pass.
‘Ma’s bill aims to strengthen existing regulations, including requiring tattoo artists to register annually with local authorities and to meet specified vaccination, blood-borne pathogen training and sanitation requirements. Owners of tattoo facilities would have to obtain and annually renew a local health permit and maintain the facility in specified ways.
Additionally, the bill would authorize health officials to inspect tattoo facilities and suspend their registration under certain circumstances. Owners who operated tattoo shops without the necessary permits could be charged with a misdemeanor and fined between $25 and $1,000, with local regulators determining the exact amount.’
A far cry from Schwarzennegger’s arrogant assessment of the situation, as though there couldn’t possibly be anything important or complex about the work that tattooists do. Thankfully there’s at least one person in the assembly that was determined to bring forth an important bill. Let’s hope it passes.