Conspiracy against trade: punishment.

Crime

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Hurtado
Last action: 2025-10-06
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 426, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Increasing Penalties for Trade Conspiracy

This law increases fines and adds penalties for corporations and individuals who break trade rules.

What This Bill Does

Increases the fine for corporate violators from up to $1,000,000 to up to $6,000,000.
Raises the fine for individual violators from up to $250,000 to up to $1,000,000.
Adds a new penalty of $1,000,000 for anyone who breaks these trade rules.
Makes small changes to how penalties are described in the law.

Who It Names or Affects

Corporations that break trade laws
Individuals who break trade laws

Terms To Know

Cartwright Act: A law that stops unfair business practices and protects fair competition.
Trust: When two or more people work together to control trade or stop others from competing fairly.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify when the new penalties will start.
It is unclear how many companies and individuals this law will affect.

Bill History

2025-10-06 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 426, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-06 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-23 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-13 California Legislative Information
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 29. Noes 8. Page 3020.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2025-09-12 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2025-09-12 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 53. Noes 20. Page 3400.) Ordered to the Senate.
2025-09-03 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 10. Noes 4.) (August 29).
2025-08-20 California Legislative Information
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-07-16 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-02 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 8. Noes 3.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-06-16 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on JUD. and PUB. S.
2025-06-05 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-06-04 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 10. Page 1519.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1212.) (May 23).
2025-05-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-05-12 California Legislative Information
May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-02 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 12.
2025-04-30 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 945.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-11 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 29.
2025-04-09 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 707.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 8.
2025-03-12 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on JUD. and PUB. S.
2025-02-24 California Legislative Information
Read first time.
2025-02-24 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 763, Hurtado.
Conspiracy against trade: punishment.
Existing law, known as the Cartwright Act, generally regulates trusts, which the act defines as a combination of capital, skill, or acts by 2 or more persons for certain purposes, including to create or carry out restrictions in trade or commerce. If a violator of the act is a corporation, the act punishes the violator by a fine of the greater of an amount not more than $1,000,000 and an amount related to the pecuniary gain from the violation or the pecuniary loss to another by the violation, as prescribed. If a violator of the act is an individual, the act punishes the violator by imprisonment of one, 2, or 3 years in a state prison or county jail, as specified, imprisonment of not more than one year in a county jail, by a fine of not more than the greater of $250,000 and an amount related to the pecuniary gain from the violation or the pecuniary loss to another by the violation, or
by both a fine and imprisonment.
This bill would increase the fine described above with respect to corporate violators to $6,000,000. The bill would also increase the fine described above with respect to an individual violator to $1,000,000. The bill would impose an additional civil penalty of $1,000,000 on a person, corporation, or business entity for violating the act, as prescribed. The bill would also make a technical change.

Current Bill Text

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