Governor Newsom Signs Retail Theft Bill Package 

Governor Newsom signed a retail theft bill package that will help make public safety in and around our buildings a priority.  

The BOMA/GLA Board of Directors is endorsing Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act to also aid in this endeavor. The measure will appear as Prop. 36 on your November Ballot.  

Key Updates

This week, Governor Newsom signed a pivotal public safety bill package, which will help make many of our members’ buildings safer.    

These bills include: 

AB 2943: Permits the combination of multiple shoplifting incidents into a felony charge. 

AB 3209: Authorizes courts to issue restraining orders against individuals who have stolen from stores or assaulted employees. 

AB 1779: Simplifies the process of prosecuting shoplifting crimes that span across different counties in a single court. 

AB 1802: Establishes the CHP property crimes task force as a permanent entity. 

AB 1972: Broadens the CHP property crimes task force program to cover cargo theft and railroad police involvement. 

SB 905: Enables theft from a vehicle to be prosecuted as a felony under specific conditions. 

SB 1242: Facilitates felony charges for setting fires on retail properties as part of organized theft. 

SB 1416: Introduces a sentencing enhancement for those who resell stolen goods. 

SB 1144: Mandates online marketplaces to more closely monitor listings to prevent the sale of stolen items. 

SB 982: Removes the time limit on prosecuting organized retail theft. 

Rachel Michelin, President and CEO of the California Retailers Association says this retail theft package "provides balanced, effective and impactful solutions that address many issues facing retailers and can lead to a reduction in retail theft while not returning to the mass incarceration policies of the past." 

The Fight Ahead  

We are encouraged by the passage of this public safety bill package, but our fight does not end here.  

Previously, Gov. Newsom tried his own hand at a retail theft measure for the November ballot. He has sense ceased that effort, which would have undermined our endorsed Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act.  

The Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act will: 

• Create a new felony class for drug convictions known as "treatment-mandated felony." Those convicted multiple times of hard drug use would be required to seek treatment.     

• The measure would allow targeting of drug dealers dealing in "hard drugs" and adding fentanyl as a hard drug. Should someone die because of fentanyl, the dealer of the fentanyl could face a murder charge.     

• Regardless of the amount, someone with two prior convictions for theft would be eligible for felony charges.    

• The initiative's goal is to amend Prop. 47 to allow more tools for law enforcement.   

This Act will not only help amend Prop 47 to deal with retail theft, but also help address the fentanyl crisis and homelessness. 

We are disappointed that many in state leadership have come out against Prop. 36, but we believe more needs to be done to address the issues of retail theft and fentanyl abuse.  

Continue to follow BOMA on the Frontline for public safety news.