Sacramento, CA – In an odd legislative twist, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday signed a bill mandating helmets for skiers and snowboarders in the state ages 18 and under…that won’t go into law, for now.nSchwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 880 as a show of support for the helmet legislation, but the bill was tied to companion Assembly Bill 1652 that imposed new accident reporting requirements upon the state’s ski resorts along with requirements for signage, hazard padding, closed area and ski area boundary marking and more. By vetoing the Assembly bill, Schwarzenegger shelved the Senate’s ski helmet bill as well.

“Consequently, while I am signing this (helmet) bill to demonstrate my support for this measure, I recognize that it will not take effect,” Schwarzenegger said in a written statement. He went on to add that the Assembly bill placed an unnecessary burden on the state’s ski resorts without any assurance that the measures imposed by the bill would decrease ski accidents or injuries.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, who indicated through his chief of staff that he will reintroduce the bill next year as a standalone measure. The bill called for law enforcement agencies to issue $25 fines for violations.