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California bill would add war to state price-gouging law
State senators introduced legislation that would let California officials investigate suspected fuel price increases tied to overseas conflict. The measure would expand an existing statute that already covers emergencies such as wildfires and pandemics.
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California state senators introduced a bill that would add the term "war" to the list of emergencies covered by the state's price-gouging statute. The legislation would allow the governor to declare a war-related emergency and give the attorney general authority to pursue cases involving suspected excessive markups on gasoline and diesel.
The bill, numbered SB 493, was co-authored by two Democratic members of the state Senate. It passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday after amendments were accepted to clarify its scope.
Current law and proposed changes Under existing rules, businesses generally cannot raise prices by more than 10 percent for essential goods after a declared emergency. The statute already lists wildfires, floods, earthquakes, riots, storms, droughts and pandemics.
The new measure would insert war into that list. It defines war to include a formal congressional declaration, active U.S. military operations against a foreign power, or U.S. participation in United Nations armed actions.
Price spread cited as evidence One sponsor pointed to a 31-cent gap between branded and unbranded gasoline in California since the start of the overseas conflict, compared with a five-cent national spread. Supporters also cited roughly $3 billion in added fuel costs for state residents.
The same sponsor said the current statute prevents the attorney general from pursuing suspected manipulation tied to war. The bill next moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
