Ten proposals addressing retail theft and property-related offenses that have been the focus of intense debate passed through the California State Assembly and Senate last Thursday and received final votes on Monday. The package is now on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk, and while he said he plans on signing them quickly, his office has not indicated when exactly he will sign them.
The proposals center around the California Retail Theft Reduction Act (AB 2943)—lawmakers’ attempt to prevent the highly controversial Prop. 47 from being repealed. AB 2943 creates a prison sentence of up to three years for possessing stolen merchandise worth more than $950 with the intent to resell.
Other bills in the package include:
- AB 1779: would allow California DAs to prosecute theft cases across multiple jurisdictions at once
- AB 1802: removes the sunset provision for the state’s ORC statute, making the California Highway Patrol’s task force permanent
- AB 1972: expands the task force to also pursue cargo theft
- SB 1144: requires online marketplaces to establish and maintain policies for prohibiting the sale of stolen goods
- SB 1242: creates longer prison sentences for those convicted of setting fire to a retailer’s property
- SB 1416: lengthens sentences for those convicted of selling, exchanging, or returning stolen goods
- SB 982: eliminates the statute of limitations for prosecuting ORC
- AB 3209: allows a court to impose a restraining order for up to two years against anyone who has stolen, vandalized, or committed battery against an employee; would also require the court to consider whether a person lives in a food desert and whether the store is the only location for necessities
- SB 905: creates two new “wobbler” offenses that can be charged as felonies or misdemeanors—breaking into a car with intent to steal, and possessing property stolen from a car worth at least $950 with the intent to sell it