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AB-1596 • 2026

Sales and Use Tax Law: exemptions: infant car seats.

Sales and Use Tax Law: exemptions: infant car seats.

Budget Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Davies
Last action
2026-03-16
Official status
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on performance indicators or data collection requirements, nor does it explicitly state the goals of the tax expenditure.

Tax Break for Infant Car Seats

AB-1596 creates an exemption from state sales and use taxes on infant car seats, but not local taxes, from January 2027 to January 2032.

What This Bill Does

  • Exempts infant car seats from state sales and use taxes starting in January 2027 until January 2032.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Retailers who sell infant car seats
  • People buying infant car seats

Terms To Know

Tax Exemption
A rule that allows certain items to be bought without paying a tax on them.
Local Sales and Use Taxes
Taxes collected by cities or counties when people buy things, separate from state taxes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This exemption does not apply to local sales and use taxes.
  • The bill does not specify how much money will be saved by buyers of infant car seats.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-16 California Legislative Information

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

  2. 2026-02-02 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.

  3. 2026-01-17 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee February 16.

  4. 2026-01-16 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1596, as introduced, Davies.
Sales and Use Tax Law: exemptions: infant car seats.
Existing state sales and use tax laws impose a tax on retailers measured by the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state or on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased from a retailer for storage, use, or other consumption in this state. The Sales and Use Tax Law provides various exemptions from those taxes.
This bill would, on and after January 1, 2027, and before January 1, 2032, exempt from those taxes the gross receipts from the sale of, and the storage, use, or other consumption of, infant car seats, as defined.
Existing law requires a bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance
indicators, and data collection requirements.
This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure.
The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law, and existing laws authorize districts, as specified, to impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, which generally conforms to the Sales and Use Tax Law. Amendments to the Sales and Use Tax Law are automatically incorporated into the local tax laws.
This bill would provide that the exemption created by the bill does not apply to local sales and use taxes or transactions and use taxes.
Existing law imposes or dedicates certain state sales and use tax rates
for local funding, including through the Local Revenue Fund 2011. Existing law requires the state to reimburse counties and cities for revenue losses caused by the enactment of sales and use tax exemptions.
This bill would provide that, notwithstanding Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, no appropriation is made and the state shall not reimburse any local agencies for sales and use tax revenues lost by them pursuant to this bill.
This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Download Bill PDF