CaliforniaSigned California law defines organized theft of certain metal as a crime
California's signed law provides a new charge for people who steal certain metal with others intending to sell, exchange, or return it for value.
What it does
The signed law provides a charge for stealing certain metal with at least one other person to sell, exchange, or return it for value. It also covers receiving, buying, or holding that metal with at least two others while knowing or believing it was stolen.
The signed law also provides a charge for people who steal certain metal for someone else as part of an organized theft plan. It covers people who recruit, direct, or fund others to break metal theft laws.
The signed law provides misdemeanor or felony punishment for people who organize or fund others' metal theft. For its other covered acts, a felony option requires at least two separate occasions within 12 months and more than $950 in total metal value.
The signed law says the state would not have to repay local agencies or school districts for costs caused by the new crime or its penalties.
Argument forPenalties for organized metal theft could discourage some thefts of public infrastructure that have left residents without streetlights.
Argument againstLocal agencies could have to cover costs of handling the new crime because the signed law says the state need not repay them.
More detail
The signed law provides a criminal charge for specified group theft or handling of metal. The metal must be among materials covered by the two other state criminal laws named in this section. Theft requires at least one other person and intent to sell, exchange, or return the metal for value. Receiving, buying, or holding the metal requires at least two other people and knowledge or belief that it was stolen.
The signed law also provides a charge for stealing metal for someone else under an organized plan, or arranging for others to commit metal theft. The rule for stealing on someone else's behalf covers metal described in two other state laws. A person stealing for someone else must act as part of an organized plan to steal metal. The rule for arranging others' acts covers the listed group acts and other crimes of metal theft.
The signed law provides misdemeanor or felony punishment for organized metal theft in specified cases. These penalties cover people convicted under the signed law's organized metal theft charge. For group theft, group handling, or theft for someone else's organized plan, a felony option requires at least two separate occasions and a combined metal value exceeding $950. Otherwise, those acts carry up to one year in county jail. Organizing or funding others' metal theft has a misdemeanor or felony option without that repeat threshold. The separate occasions and combined metal value must fall within the same 12-month period.
The signed law says the state need not repay local agencies or school districts for costs caused by its crime and penalty changes. This applies to local agencies and school districts with costs caused by this law's crime or penalty changes. The law treats those costs as an exception to the state's duty to repay local agencies and school districts for certain required spending.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 30Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 838, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 30Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Aug 31Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 25Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 6454.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 1941 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 24In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB1941 Mark González et al. By Rubio. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 24Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).Passed Senate
- Aug 19Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 18Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 13Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).Major
- Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 24From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 23
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 4From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.Major
- Jun 3Referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- May 22In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 1941 Mark González Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 22Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 5260.)Passed Assembly
- May 18Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 14).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 15In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Apr 6Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Mar 26Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 25From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (March 24).Major
- Mar 24
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 2Referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- Feb 14From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
- Feb 13Read first time. To print.Introduced
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