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San Francisco-backed bill to target sale of stolen goods on sidewalks advances amid vendor support and civil-rights pushback
Summary
The Assembly Public Safety Committee approved SB 276, a bill giving San Francisco limited authority to require permits and step up penalties for repeat sellers of commonly stolen goods on public sidewalks to protect lawful vendors and public safety.
The committee heard SB 276, a locally focused measure sponsored by San Francisco officials that would authorize the city and county to adopt a temporary ordinance requiring permits for certain categories of merchandise commonly tied to retail theft and to escalate administrative penalties for repeat unpermitted sellers (commonly called "fencers").
San Francisco witnesses including the Mission Street Vendors Association and the San Francisco Police Department described a pattern in which retail theft supplies appear rapidly on sidewalks, undermining lawful street vendors and creating safety risks for enforcement staff. Rodrigo Lopez, president of the Mission Street Vendors Association, said the measure protects permitted vendors whose livelihoods are harmed by the sale of stolen goods and helps reduce street overcrowding and safety problems.
Opposition: ACLU California Action and the California Public Defenders Association opposed the bill, arguing it would reintroduce criminal penalties and risk disproportionately impacting low‑income and immigrant vendors. The ACLU urged that existing tools such as Penal Code section 496 (receiving stolen property) and other enforcement mechanisms already exist, and questioned whether criminalization is the right policy response. San Francisco officials and vendor representatives said the bill is narrowly tailored with safeguards: it caps permit fees for low‑income vendors, prohibits collecting immigration documentation and requires multilingual outreach and community engagement before implementation.
Committee action: After testimony and negotiation, the committee voted to pass SB 276 as amended. Supporters said the bill includes protections for lawful vendors and is narrowly focused on repeat fencing operations rather than ordinary vending.
Ending: San Francisco advocates said the bill balances vendor rights and public safety; opponents said the Legislature should avoid re-criminalizing sidewalk vending and urged local enforcement alternatives and robust safeguards.
