CA SB 36
vetoedPrice gouging: state of emergency.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper
Quick answers
Did CA SB 36 pass?
No. CA SB 36 passed the legislature but was vetoed on 2026-03-02. Latest recorded action (2026-03-02): Veto sustained.
What is CA SB 36 about?
(1) Existing law, the Unfair Competition Law, makes various practices unlawful and provides that a person who engages, has engaged, or proposes to engage in unfair competition is liable for a civil penalty, as specified. This bill would additionally make a person who violates those provisions, if the act or acts of unfair competition are perpetrated against one or more persons displaced due to a state of emergency or local emergency, as defined, at the time the violation occurred, liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 for each violation, as specified. (2) Existing law, the Consumers Legal Remedies Act, makes unlawful certain unfair methods of competition and certain unfair or deceptive acts or practices undertaken by a person in a transaction intended to result or that results in the sale or lease of goods or services to a consumer. These include, among others, making false or misleading statements of fact concerning reasons for, existence of, or amounts of, price reductions. This bill would additionally make it unlawful under those provisions to, among other things, price gouge during a state of emergency or local emergency. (3) Existing law requires the trier of fact, in a civil action to redress unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair competition brought by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of senior citizens, disabled persons, or veterans, to consider specified factors in determining the amount of a discretionary fine, penalty, or remedy to be imposed. Existing law authorizes the trier of fact, upon a finding of one of those factors, to impose a fine, penalty, or other remedy in an amount up to 3 times greater than the amount authorized by statute or the amount the trier of fact would impose in the absence of the affirmative finding. This bill would make those provisions applicable to persons displaced due to a state of emergency or a local emergency, as defined, at the time the violation occurred. (4) Under existing law, upon the proclamation of a state of emergency by the President of the United States or the Governor, or upon the declaration of a local emergency by the executive officer of any county, city, or city and county, and for 30 days or 180 days, as specified, following the proclamation or declaration of emergency, it is a misdemeanor for a person, contractor, business, or other entity to sell or offer to sell certain goods or services for a price of more than 10% greater than the price charged by that person immediately prior to the proclamation or declaration of emergency. Existing law authorizes the extension of these prohibitions by, among others, the Governor, if deemed necessary to protect the lives, property, or welfare of the citizens. Existing law defines "housing" as any rental housing with an initial lease term of no longer than one year. This bill would specify that an extension authorized by the Governor may be terminated by a concurrent resolution of the Legislature declaring it at an end. The bill would require a housing listing platform, during the period of 30 days following a proclamation of a state emergency or a declaration of a local emergency, as specified, to, among other things, remove a listing when notified by local, regional, or state law enforcement agencies that the price for a listing made available on the platform violates the price gouging provisions and establish and maintain a policy informing housing providers that listings are prohibited from violating the above-described provisions, as specified. This bill would define "housing listing platform" for these purposes as an internet website, application, or other similar centralized platform that acts as an intermediary between a consumer and another person which allows another person to list the availability of housing, lodging, or units for sale or for rent to a consumer. The bill would remove the one-year lease term limit from the definition of "housing."
Who sponsors CA SB 36?
Umberg is the primary sponsor of CA SB 36, joined by 10 cosponsors.
Description
(1) Existing law, the Unfair Competition Law, makes various practices unlawful and provides that a person who engages, has engaged, or proposes to engage in unfair competition is liable for a civil penalty, as specified. This bill would additionally make a person who violates those provisions, if the act or acts of unfair competition are perpetrated against one or more persons displaced due to a state of emergency or local emergency, as defined, at the time the violation occurred, liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 for each violation, as specified. (2) Existing law, the Consumers Legal Remedies Act, makes unlawful certain unfair methods of competition and certain unfair or deceptive acts or practices undertaken by a person in a transaction intended to result or that results in the sale or lease of goods or services to a consumer. These include, among others, making false or misleading statements of fact concerning reasons for, existence of, or amounts of, price reductions. This bill would additionally make it unlawful under those provisions to, among other things, price gouge during a state of emergency or local emergency. (3) Existing law requires the trier of fact, in a civil action to redress unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair competition brought by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of senior citizens, disabled persons, or veterans, to consider specified factors in determining the amount of a discretionary fine, penalty, or remedy to be imposed. Existing law authorizes the trier of fact, upon a finding of one of those factors, to impose a fine, penalty, or other remedy in an amount up to 3 times greater than the amount authorized by statute or the amount the trier of fact would impose in the absence of the affirmative finding. This bill would make those provisions applicable to persons displaced due to a state of emergency or a local emergency, as defined, at the time the violation occurred. (4) Under existing law, upon the proclamation of a state of emergency by the President of the United States or the Governor, or upon the declaration of a local emergency by the executive officer of any county, city, or city and county, and for 30 days or 180 days, as specified, following the proclamation or declaration of emergency, it is a misdemeanor for a person, contractor, business, or other entity to sell or offer to sell certain goods or services for a price of more than 10% greater than the price charged by that person immediately prior to the proclamation or declaration of emergency. Existing law authorizes the extension of these prohibitions by, among others, the Governor, if deemed necessary to protect the lives, property, or welfare of the citizens. Existing law defines "housing" as any rental housing with an initial lease term of no longer than one year. This bill would specify that an extension authorized by the Governor may be terminated by a concurrent resolution of the Legislature declaring it at an end. The bill would require a housing listing platform, during the period of 30 days following a proclamation of a state emergency or a declaration of a local emergency, as specified, to, among other things, remove a listing when notified by local, regional, or state law enforcement agencies that the price for a listing made available on the platform violates the price gouging provisions and establish and maintain a policy informing housing providers that listings are prohibited from violating the above-described provisions, as specified. This bill would define "housing listing platform" for these purposes as an internet website, application, or other similar centralized platform that acts as an intermediary between a consumer and another person which allows another person to list the availability of housing, lodging, or units for sale or for rent to a consumer. The bill would remove the one-year lease term limit from the definition of "housing."
- Introduced
- 2024-12-03
- Latest action
- 2026-03-02 — Veto sustained.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Umbergauthor
- Smallwood-Cuevasauthor
- Cervantesprincipal coauthor
- Corteseprincipal coauthor
- Gonzalezprincipal coauthor
- Hurtadoprincipal coauthor
- Menjivarprincipal coauthor
- Pérezprincipal coauthor
- Reyesprincipal coauthor
- Wahabprincipal coauthor
- Richardsoncoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
2024-12-03
Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
introduction,referral-committee
2024-12-04
From printer. May be acted upon on or after January 3.
2025-01-06
Read first time.
reading-1
2025-01-29
Referred to Com. on RLS.
referral-committee
2025-02-24
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-03-05
Re-referred to Coms. on JUD. and PUB. S.
referral-committee
2025-03-25
Set for hearing April 8.
2025-04-09
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 704.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-04-10
Set for hearing April 22.
2025-04-23
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 840.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-04-25
Set for hearing May 5.
2025-05-05
May 5 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-16
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-23
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2025-05-23
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1188.) (May 23).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-05-27
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-06-03
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 7. Page 1454.) Ordered to the Assembly.
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-06-04
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
reading-1
2025-06-09
Referred to Coms. on JUD. and PUB. S.
referral-committee
2025-06-24
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (June 24).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-06-25
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-07-16
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (July 15).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2025-07-17
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2025-08-20
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-08-29
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 29).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-09-02
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2025-09-03
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2025-09-05
Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-3
2025-09-05
Read third time and amended.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-09-05
Assembly Rule 69(b)(1) suspended.
2025-09-09
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 60. Noes 17. Page 3080.) Ordered to the Senate.
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2025-09-09
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2025-09-11
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 8. Page 2872.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2025-09-22
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m.
executive-receipt
2025-10-11
Vetoed by the Governor.
executive-veto
2025-10-11
In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2026-03-02
Stricken from file.
2026-03-02
Veto sustained.
Versions
- 12/03/24 - Introduced — 2024-12-03Compare
- 02/24/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-02-24Compare
- 05/23/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-05-23Compare
- 06/25/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-06-25Compare
- 07/17/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-07-17Compare
- 09/02/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-09-02Compare
- 09/05/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-09-05Compare
- 09/13/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-13Compare
- SB36Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
Documents
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- application/pdf
- text/html
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
- application/pdf(no extracted text yet)
Votes
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]
2025-04-08 · pass · 10-0
Member-level votes (13)
- Ashby: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Laird: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Allen: yes
- Stern: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Weber Pierson: other
- Niello: other
- Valladares: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-04-22 · pass · 5-1
Member-level votes (6)
- Gonzalez: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Seyarto: no
Placed on suspense file
2025-05-05 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Richardson: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Seyarto: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Wahab: yes
Do pass as amended
2025-05-23 · pass · 5-1
Member-level votes (7)
- Caballero: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Seyarto: no
- Dahle: other
3rd Reading SB36 Umberg et al.
2025-06-03 · pass · 29-7
Member-level votes (40)
- Gonzalez: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Becker: yes
- Laird: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Stern: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Allen: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Limón: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Choi: no
- Seyarto: no
- Niello: no
- Strickland: no
- Alvarado-Gil: no
- Grove: no
- Dahle: no
- Valladares: other
- Ochoa Bogh: other
- Reyes: other
- Jones: other
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Public Safety]
2025-06-24 · pass · 9-3
Member-level votes (12)
- Bryan: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Papan: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Lee: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Tangipa: no
- Sanchez: no
- Dixon: no
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2025-07-15 · pass · 7-2
Member-level votes (9)
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Haney: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Lackey: no
- Alanis: no
Do pass as amended.
2025-08-29 · pass · 11-4
Member-level votes (15)
- Elhawary: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Fong: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Solache: yes
- Sanchez: no
- Ta: no
- Tangipa: no
- Dixon: no
SB 36 Umberg Senate Third Reading By Krell
2025-09-09 · pass · 60-17
Member-level votes (80)
- Ahrens: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Addis: yes
- Ward: yes
- Haney: yes
- Hart: yes
- Fong: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Bains: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Soria: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Berman: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Celeste Rodriguez: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Papan: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Lee: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Solache: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Zbur: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Krell: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Patel: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Johnson: no
- Dixon: no
- Hoover: no
- Hadwick: no
- Tangipa: no
- Lackey: no
- Macedo: no
- Gallagher: no
- Jeff Gonzalez: no
- Sanchez: no
- Ta: no
- Chen: no
- Castillo: no
- Ellis: no
- Alanis: no
- Patterson: no
- DeMaio: no
- Wallis: other
- Davies: other
- Flora: other
Unfinished Business SB36 Umberg et al. Concurrence
2025-09-11 · pass · 30-8
Member-level votes (40)
- Umberg: yes
- McGuire: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Reyes: yes
- McNerney: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Allen: yes
- Archuleta: yes
- Limón: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Hurtado: yes
- Blakespear: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Laird: yes
- Stern: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Rubio: yes
- Cortese: yes
- Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
- Becker: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Arreguín: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Alvarado-Gil: no
- Seyarto: no
- Jones: no
- Grove: no
- Strickland: no
- Niello: no
- Dahle: no
- Choi: no
- Ochoa Bogh: other
- Valladares: 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
Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:
Use this data
Every field on this page is available from the free public API — no key or licence required. Fetch this bill as JSON: GET /api/v1/bills?jurisdiction=CA&identifier=SB 36. See the API docs or the MCP server for AI assistants.
Known limitations
- Sponsor party and chamber affiliation are not yet captured by this API.
- Committee referrals are not yet captured.
- Some documents have no extracted text yet, so version comparison may be limited.
See the methodology page for data sources and limitations.