The Baja California Sur state congress on June 3 approved a reform requiring civil protection and risk management training in all programs run by the state’s youth institute. The measure amends Article 4 of the Law of the Instituto Sudcaliforniano de la Juventud (ISJuventud), the state agency responsible for youth development programs.
State legislator Erick Agúndez Cervantes introduced the initiative in March 2026. The reform directs ISJuventud to launch courses, workshops, and training programs focused on disaster prevention and self-protection. These programs will be developed in coordination with the state Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) and the Subsecretaría de Protección Civil, the state’s civil protection agency.
What the Reform Requires
Under the approved reform, ISJuventud must incorporate civil protection content into its existing youth programming across Baja California Sur. The law draws on provisions already established in the state’s child and adolescent rights legislation, the General Education Law, and the BCS Civil Protection Law, all of which promote prevention and resilience education related to natural disasters and emergencies.
Agúndez Cervantes framed the initiative as a public safety measure. He stated that civil protection aims to establish coordination between authorities and society to prevent and reduce the effects of natural disasters, as well as to safeguard lives, health, and property.
Why It Matters in Baja California Sur
The peninsula faces recurring natural hazards. The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 through November 30 each year, and BCS has been hit by major storms in recent years. The state also sits along seismic fault lines and experiences periodic flooding during the rainy months. Civil protection training teaches residents how to prepare emergency kits, identify evacuation routes, and respond during earthquakes or tropical storms.
The BCS congress, a unicameral body of 21 deputies currently led by its XVII Legislature, passed the reform by committee vote. The legislature is dominated by the Morena party, which holds nine seats, followed by the PT (Labor Party) with seven.
The reform takes effect once published in the state’s official gazette. It applies statewide, covering youth programs in La Paz, Los Cabos, Comondú, Loreto, and Mulegé municipalities.
First reported by Noticias La Paz.