CA AB 646
deadInsurance: warranty: catalytic converter.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 646 pass?
No. CA AB 646 did not pass — it was defeated or died in the legislative process. Latest recorded action (2026-02-02): From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
What is CA AB 646 about?
Under existing law, a warranty issued by the warrantor of a vehicle protection product constitutes an express warranty and does not constitute automobile insurance if the warrantor complies with various requirements, including that the warranty is in writing and provides, among other things, that the benefits are limited to the difference between the actual cash value of the stolen vehicle and the vehicle's replacement cost, temporary vehicle rental expenses, reimbursement for insurance policy deductible, and registration fees and taxes on a replacement vehicle or a fixed amount for those benefits, and that the benefit is payable upon the theft of the vehicle. Existing law defines a vehicle protection product for these purposes to mean a vehicle protection device, system, or service that is installed on, or applied to, a vehicle, is designed to deter the theft of the vehicle, and includes a written warranty that provides specified incidental costs if the product fails to deter the theft of the vehicle. Existing law requires, except as specified, a dealer or person holding a retail seller's permit who sells new or used vehicles equipped with a catalytic converter to permanently mark the catalytic converter with the vehicle identification number of the vehicle to which it is attached. This bill would expand the definition of a vehicle protection product to include a physical device, system, or service designed to prevent the unauthorized removal of a vehicle's catalytic converter, and would limit the warranty benefit for this vehicle protection product to the actual cash value and replacement cost of the catalytic converter, temporary vehicle rental expenses, and reimbursement for the insurance policy deductible. The bill would require the benefit to be payable upon the theft of the catalytic converter from the vehicle, as specified. The bill would also require a seller to disclose a specified notice if this vehicle protection product is a body part marking product designed to permanently mark the catalytic converter.
Who sponsors CA AB 646?
Wallis is the primary sponsor of CA AB 646.
Description
Under existing law, a warranty issued by the warrantor of a vehicle protection product constitutes an express warranty and does not constitute automobile insurance if the warrantor complies with various requirements, including that the warranty is in writing and provides, among other things, that the benefits are limited to the difference between the actual cash value of the stolen vehicle and the vehicle's replacement cost, temporary vehicle rental expenses, reimbursement for insurance policy deductible, and registration fees and taxes on a replacement vehicle or a fixed amount for those benefits, and that the benefit is payable upon the theft of the vehicle. Existing law defines a vehicle protection product for these purposes to mean a vehicle protection device, system, or service that is installed on, or applied to, a vehicle, is designed to deter the theft of the vehicle, and includes a written warranty that provides specified incidental costs if the product fails to deter the theft of the vehicle. Existing law requires, except as specified, a dealer or person holding a retail seller's permit who sells new or used vehicles equipped with a catalytic converter to permanently mark the catalytic converter with the vehicle identification number of the vehicle to which it is attached. This bill would expand the definition of a vehicle protection product to include a physical device, system, or service designed to prevent the unauthorized removal of a vehicle's catalytic converter, and would limit the warranty benefit for this vehicle protection product to the actual cash value and replacement cost of the catalytic converter, temporary vehicle rental expenses, and reimbursement for the insurance policy deductible. The bill would require the benefit to be payable upon the theft of the catalytic converter from the vehicle, as specified. The bill would also require a seller to disclose a specified notice if this vehicle protection product is a body part marking product designed to permanently mark the catalytic converter.
- Introduced
- 2025-04-28
- Latest action
- 2026-02-02 — From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Wallisauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-02-02
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
committee-passage,failure
2026-01-31
Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.
failure
2025-05-23
In committee: Held under submission.
2025-05-14
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
referral-committee
2025-04-30
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-04-29
Re-referred to Com. on INS.
referral-committee
2025-04-28
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on INS. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-03-03
Referred to Com. on INS.
referral-committee
2025-02-14
From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
2025-02-13
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
Documents
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- text/html
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
Votes
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-04-30 · pass · 15-0
Member-level votes (17)
- Chen: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Krell: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Berman: yes
- Hadwick: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Addis: yes
- Ávila Farías: other
- Ortega: other
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z
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