Consumer Federation of California 2025 Legislative Agenda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Our package of 12 bills seeks to tackle an array of issues, including cracking down on deceptive practices such as junk and hidden fees, bolstering consumer protection agencies, ensuring equity and financial protection for consumers in the rental and homeownership space, enhancing data privacy, and expanding consumer legal protections.
Strengthening Regulatory Consumer Protection Enforcement
SB 825 (Limón) Consumer Financial Protection (Co-sponsor)
Clarifies the power of the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) to use their enforcement authority on entities, including licensed entities, engaging in abusive acts or practices.
Tackling Hidden Fees & Preventing Deceptive Practices
SB 709 (Menjivar) Self-Service Storage Facilities(Sponsor)
Enhances consumer protections in the self-storage facility industry, which is notorious for bait and switch practices.
SB 766 (Allen) Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act (Co-sponsor)
Creates a CA version of the FTC’s Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Rule to enhance consumer protections when purchasing a vehicle, including a cooling-off period for used car purchases.
AB 1190 (Haney) Protect Consumers from Massive DMV “Partner” Upcharges (Sponsor)
Limits add-on fees charged by DMV private industry “partners” to consumers, including companies mimicking the DMV site.
AB 1248 (Haney) Cracking down on Junk & Hidden fees in Rental Housing (Co-sponsor)
Protects tenants from rapidly growing junk and hidden fees that are pricing consumers out of their residences.
AB 1374 (Berman) Rental Car Pricing Transparency (Sponsor)
Requires rental car companies and third-parties to clearly and promptly display all cost information to consumers.
Expanding Consumer Legal Protections
SB 29 (Laird) Removes sunset on “death discount” (Co-Sponsor)
The so-called “death discount” had eliminated certain types of damages to families of victims after their loved one died.
SB 82 (Umberg) Trimming out of control arbitration (Co-sponsor)
Ensures that arbitration clauses between consumers and businesses apply only to the specific product or service covered.
SB 784 (Durazo) Limiting Home Improvement Financing Frauds & Scams (Co-sponsor)
Cracks down on abusive market practices against consumers for home improvements that often aren’t completed or working.
Enhancing Consumer Privacy Protections
SB 44 (Umberg) Neural Data Privacy Expansion(Co-Sponsor)
Limits use of consumer neural data to only the purpose it was initially collected for.
SB 771 (Stern) Social Media Accountability (Co-Sponsor)
Enhances liability and penalties for social media companies when they refuse to properly monitor their own site for hate speech.
AB 656 (Schiavo) Click to Cancel 2.0: Online Subscriptions (Sponsor)
Builds on consumer protections for online renewals by allowing consumers to easily delete their accounts, whether they pay for it or not. “If the product is free, YOU are the product.”
Your financial support empowers the Consumer Federation of California to drive meaningful change and advocate for the rights of consumers across the state. Help us keep up the fight — please consider making a donation today!
About the Consumer Federation of California: The Consumer Federation of California is a nonprofit advocacy organization that, since 1960, has been a powerful voice for consumer rights. CFC campaigns for laws and regulations that place consumer protection ahead of corporate profit.
Tags: 2025 Legislation, Advocacy, Press Release