Bill Commons

CA AB 2537

in committee

Cannabis Enforcement Accountability and Public Health Prioritization Act of 2026.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

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Quick answers

Did CA AB 2537 pass?

Not yet. CA AB 2537 is in committee and has not come to a final vote. Latest recorded action (2026-08-13): In committee: Held under submission.

What is CA AB 2537 about?

Existing law, the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) , among other things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities. Existing law gives the Department of Cannabis Control the power, duty, purpose, responsibility, and jurisdiction to regulate commercial cannabis activity in the state. Existing law authorizes the department to take disciplinary actions against a licensee, as provided. Existing law requires the department to prepare and disseminate, as specified, an annual report relating to the department's activities, including, among other things, the amount of funds allocated and spent by the department for cannabis licensing, enforcement, and administration, and the number of state licenses issued, renewed, denied, suspended, and revoked. This bill, the Cannabis Enforcement Accountability and Public Health Prioritization Act of 2026, would require the department, beginning January 1, 2028, to prioritize its enforcement of MAUCRSA in a manner consistent with an enforcement prioritization policy, as defined, based on specified categories, that are listed from highest to lowest priority, based on conduct or conditions, as specified, that create a risk of harm, as described. The bill would define "risk of harm" as the likelihood of, among other things, interference with enforcement of state law. Beginning January 1, 2028, the bill would require the department to adopt and publish an enforcement prioritization policy, as specified, and would require the department to include in the above-described annual report the number, geographic distribution, and, as applicable, dollar amount of specified enforcement activities in relation to the risk-based enforcement framework, as provided.

Who sponsors CA AB 2537?

Chen is the primary sponsor of CA AB 2537, joined by 1 cosponsor.

Description

Existing law, the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) , among other things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities. Existing law gives the Department of Cannabis Control the power, duty, purpose, responsibility, and jurisdiction to regulate commercial cannabis activity in the state. Existing law authorizes the department to take disciplinary actions against a licensee, as provided. Existing law requires the department to prepare and disseminate, as specified, an annual report relating to the department's activities, including, among other things, the amount of funds allocated and spent by the department for cannabis licensing, enforcement, and administration, and the number of state licenses issued, renewed, denied, suspended, and revoked. This bill, the Cannabis Enforcement Accountability and Public Health Prioritization Act of 2026, would require the department, beginning January 1, 2028, to prioritize its enforcement of MAUCRSA in a manner consistent with an enforcement prioritization policy, as defined, based on specified categories, that are listed from highest to lowest priority, based on conduct or conditions, as specified, that create a risk of harm, as described. The bill would define "risk of harm" as the likelihood of, among other things, interference with enforcement of state law. Beginning January 1, 2028, the bill would require the department to adopt and publish an enforcement prioritization policy, as specified, and would require the department to include in the above-described annual report the number, geographic distribution, and, as applicable, dollar amount of specified enforcement activities in relation to the risk-based enforcement framework, as provided.

Introduced
2026-03-19
Latest action
2026-08-13 — In committee: Held under submission.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Chenauthor
  • Lackeycoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-08-13

    In committee: Held under submission.

  2. 2026-08-03

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  3. 2026-06-24

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  4. 2026-06-23

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 22).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  5. 2026-06-10

    Referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.

    referral-committee

  6. 2026-06-01

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  7. 2026-05-28

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 5529.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  8. 2026-05-18

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  9. 2026-05-14

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  10. 2026-05-06

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee

  11. 2026-04-16

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    referral-committee

  12. 2026-04-15

    Read second time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  13. 2026-04-14

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 19. Noes 0.) (April 14).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  14. 2026-04-13

    Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.

    referral-committee

  15. 2026-04-09

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  16. 2026-04-06

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  17. 2026-03-23

    Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.

    referral-committee

  18. 2026-03-19

    Referred to Com. on B. & P.

    referral-committee

  19. 2026-03-19

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  20. 2026-02-21

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  21. 2026-02-20

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

Versions

  • 02/20/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-20Compare
  • 03/19/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-03-19Compare
  • 04/09/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-04-09Compare
  • 04/15/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-04-15Compare
  • 06/24/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-06-24Compare
  • AB2537Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-04-14 · pass · 19-0

    Member-level votes (19)
    • Jackson: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Johnson: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
  • Do pass.

    2026-05-14 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Dixon: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Mark González: yes
  • AB 2537 Chen Assembly Third Reading

    2026-05-28 · pass · 76-0

    Member-level votes (80)
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Johnson: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Jackson: other
    • Quirk-Silva: other
    • Lee: other
    • Celeste Rodriguez: other
  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-06-22 · pass · 10-0

    Member-level votes (11)
    • Niello: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-08-01T14:16:02.923288Z

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