Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Consumer Protection topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances AB 380 to extend price‑gouging protections during declared emergencies
Summary
Assemblymember Mark Gonzales introduced AB 380, which would extend price‑gouging protections to hotels, food and essential goods, and commercial property for the duration of a declared emergency and close a lease‑length loophole.
Assemblymember Mark Gonzales introduced AB 380 and said the bill would extend price‑gouging protections — already in place for rental housing — to hotels, food, essential goods and services, and commercial properties for the full duration of an emergency declaration. Gonzales said the change would provide clarity and prevent exploitative spikes in prices during disasters: "This bill strengthens price gouging protections, ensuring fairness and stability for communities impacted by these disasters," he said.
Supporters including Anya Lawler (Public Interest Advocates) and several legal-services and housing organizations described widespread post-fire rent increases and anecdotal price spikes after recent wildfires in Los Angeles. Lawler cited crowd-sourced tracking that found thousands of instances of rent increases in Los Angeles County after recent fires and urged closing a loophole where landlords offered 13‑month or 366‑day leases to avoid a 12‑month statutory limit.
Opposition came from landlord and business groups that said the bill would remove periodic review deadlines for local emergency declarations, reduce transparency for businesses, and could functionally limit commercial evictions and impose de facto commercial rent control. The California Apartment Association and business groups asked for local reporting requirements, a periodic review or sunset on extended protections, and clarifications to ensure property owners can make necessary repairs and recover costs. Industry witnesses raised concerns that an unrestricted, indefinite duration tied to emergency declarations would create uncertainty and financial risk for small property owners.
Committee members questioned balance and implementation. Several lawmakers said they supported stronger anti‑gouging protections but asked the author to work with stakeholders to protect small landlords and provide clear public notice. The author said he was willing to continue working with opponents and to consider language changes, including requiring local publication of emergency penalties in multiple languages.
The committee passed AB 380 as amended to Appropriations. The chair recommended an "aye" vote while encouraging the author to continue collaborating with business stakeholders to clarify duration, notice, and repair‑related provisions.
