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SB-533 • 2026

Electric vehicle charging stations: arenas: payments: internet-based applications.

Electric vehicle charging stations: arenas: payments: internet-based applications.

Energy
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Richardson
Last action
2025-10-13
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 770, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on whether the bill changes subscription or membership requirements for using charging stations, nor does it specify if the commission has additional powers beyond those already mentioned.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations for Arenas

This law allows electric vehicle charging stations at large arenas to require the use of an internet-based app for payment, as long as other ways to pay are still available.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows charging stations in big arenas (with at least 15,000 seats) to need users to pay through a special app.
  • Requires these stations to also accept contactless payments like credit or debit cards and phone calls or text messages for payment.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who charge electric vehicles at large arenas.
  • Companies that own and operate electric vehicle charging stations.
  • Large arena owners and operators.

Terms To Know

Plug and Charge
A system where an electric car can start charging automatically when plugged in, without needing to set up a payment method first.
Contactless Payment
Paying for something by tapping or holding a card near a reader, like using a credit card at a store.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies to arenas with seating capacity of at least 15,000 seats.
  • It is not clear when the new rules will take effect since an effective date was not provided in the summary text.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-13 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 770, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-13 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-22 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2891.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3067.) Ordered to the Senate.

  7. 2025-09-03 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-09-03 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended.

  9. 2025-08-19 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  10. 2025-08-18 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to second reading.

  11. 2025-08-18 California Legislative Information

    Withdrawn from committee.

  12. 2025-07-14 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  13. 2025-07-10 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (July 9).

  14. 2025-07-08 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on U. & E. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 7). Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.

  15. 2025-06-27 California Legislative Information

    Assembly Rule 56 suspended.

  16. 2025-05-12 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on TRANS. and U. & E.

  17. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  18. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 886.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  19. 2025-04-10 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  20. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0. Page 710.) (April 8).

  21. 2025-04-03 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 8.

  22. 2025-04-01 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

  23. 2025-03-28 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. (Ayes 16. Noes 0. Page 511.) (March 24).

  24. 2025-03-17 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing March 24.

  25. 2025-03-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on E., U & C. and TRANS.

  26. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  27. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 533, Richardson.
Electric vehicle charging stations: arenas: payments: internet-based applications.
Existing law prohibits requiring a person desiring to use an electric vehicle charging station that requires payment of a fee from paying a subscription fee in order to use the station, or requiring the person to obtain membership in any club, association, or organization as a condition of using the station. Existing law authorizes an electric vehicle charging station to offer services on a subscription- or membership-only basis, if the station provides nonsubscribers or nonmembers the ability to use the station through a contactless payment method that accepts major credit and debit cards, as specified, and either an automated toll-free telephone number or a short message system (SMS) that provides the electric vehicle charging customer with the option to initiate a charging session and submit payment. Existing law requires a direct current fast charging station that is first
installed or made publicly available on or after July 10, 2023, to also include Plug and Charge payment capabilities, as specified. Existing law authorizes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to add to or subtract from these payment methods by regulation that is effective no earlier than January 1, 2028, as provided.
This bill would create an exception to the above-described provisions to authorize an electric vehicle charging station to require that payment for charging services be made through the use of an internet-based application if the charging station is on the premises of an arena that has a seating capacity of at least 15,000 seats and can only be accessed through the use of that internet-based application.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 44268.2 of the Health
and Safety Code proposed by AB 1423 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1423 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Download Bill PDF