Alcoholic beverage control: large outdoor events: drink spiking.

Crime Healthcare

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Lowenthal
Last action: 2025-08-29
Official status: In committee: Held under submission.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide a specific definition for 'large outdoor event'.

Drink Spiking Rules for Large Outdoor Events

This law requires people who sell alcohol at large outdoor events to provide drug testing kits and drink lids, post notices about them, and contact emergency services if a customer reports being a victim of drink spiking.

What This Bill Does

Requires event organizers selling alcohol at large outdoor events to provide drug testing devices and drink lids to customers.
Makes it necessary for these organizers to put up signs informing people about the availability of drug tests and drink lids.
Necessitates that organizers contact law enforcement or emergency medical services if a customer reports being a victim of drink spiking.
Specifies that event organizers must follow all manufacturer instructions for testing devices and will not be held responsible for faulty test results.

Who It Names or Affects

Event organizers who sell alcohol at large outdoor events
Customers attending these events

Terms To Know

Drink Spiking: Adding drugs or other substances to someone's drink without their knowledge, often with harmful intentions.
Large Outdoor Event: A gathering outside where alcohol is sold and consumed by many people.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not define what qualifies as a large outdoor event.
It only applies from July 1, 2026 to January 1, 2029.
Violations are treated with warnings rather than criminal penalties.

Bill History

2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
In committee: Held under submission.
2025-08-18 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-16 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-09 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-07-08 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 8).
2025-06-23 California Legislative Information
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on G.O.
2025-05-21 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on G.O. and JUD.
2025-05-13 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-12 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 1509.)
2025-04-24 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 23).
2025-04-03 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 20. Noes 0.) (April 2). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-03 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2025-03-28 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on G.O.
2025-03-27 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on G.O. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-18 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on G.O.
2025-03-17 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on G.O. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-17 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on G.O.
2025-02-15 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.
2025-02-14 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 668, as amended, Lowenthal.
Alcoholic beverage control: large outdoor events: drink spiking.
Existing law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, administered by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, regulates the application for, the issuance of, the suspension of, and the conditions imposed upon, various alcoholic beverage licenses. Existing law generally makes a violation of the act a misdemeanor and grounds for suspension or revocation of a license, except as specified. Existing law, until January 1, 2027, requires an applicant for a new permanent on-sale general public premises (Type 48) license and the holder of an existing Type 48 license to offer drug testing devices and drink lids to their customers and to post a related notice, as specified. Existing law also requires those applicants and licensees to contact and provide specified information to law enforcement or emergency medical services when they are notified by a customer that the customer or another
customer believes they have been a victim of drink spiking, as specified.
This bill would, commencing July 1, 2026, until January 1, 2029, require any person who obtains a catering authorization or daily on-sale license for the sale of alcoholic beverages at a large outdoor event, as defined, to comply with the above-described drink spiking requirements.
The bill would require a licensee to comply with all manufacturer instructions relating to testing devices, as specified, and would specify that a licensee who complies with the manufacturer’s instructions shall not be held liable for a defective test or inaccurate test result.
The bill would specify that a violation of its provisions is not a
crime.
crime and would specify that a first violation would result only in a warning by the department.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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