California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed landmark legislation to further crack down on property and retail crime in the state. The new laws provide tougher criminal penalties for repeat offenders and additional tools for felony prosecutions.
“Let’s be clear, this is the most significant legislation to address property crime in modern California history,” Newsom said. “I thank the bipartisan group of lawmakers, our retail partners, and advocates for putting public safety over politics. While some try to take us back to ineffective and costly policies of the past, these new laws present a better way forward—making our communities safer and providing meaningful tools to help law enforcement arrest criminals and hold them accountable.”
The passed laws are:
- AB 2943: creates a prison sentence of up to three years for possessing stolen merchandise worth more than $950 with the intent to resell
- 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.