The California Autobody Association (CAA) released an update on current legislative and regulatory considerations that could affect collision repairers in the state.
EV Batteries
SB 615: Electric Vehicle Batteries
CAA has concerns about this bill, which would, among other things, require automotive repair dealers who remove an electric battery from a vehicle for repair, remanufacturing or recycling to ensure the battery is disposed of properly, adhering to the end-of-life requirements specified in the legislation.
Status: Senate Environmental Committee
AB 841: Battery Storage
This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to battery storage requirements for private businesses. CAA is watching the bill.
Status: Introduced.
AB 855: Commercial Electric Vehicle Safety
This bill would require the Office of Emergency Services, on or before Jan. 1, 2027, to develop and post on its internet website an action plan for responding to electric commercial motor vehicle battery fires that covers specified topics, including best practices for reducing wildfire risk and mitigating the risk of battery reignition. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Assembly Transportation Committee.
Employment
AB 845: Heat Illness Prevention
This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would ensure that workers know their rights and are prepared to protect themselves during extreme heat-related events. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Introduced.
AB 1331: Workplace Surveillance
CAA has concerns about this bill, which would limit the use of workplace surveillance tools, as defined, by employers, including by prohibiting an employer from monitoring or surveilling workers in private, off-duty areas, as specified, and requiring workplace surveillance tools to be disabled during off-duty hours, as specified.
Status: Introduced.
AB 1371: Occupational Safety -- Hazardous Waste
This bill would, among other things, allow an employee, acting in good faith, to refuse to perform a tasked assigned by an employer if it would violate those prescribed safety standards or if the employee has a reasonable apprehension that the performance of the assigned task would result in injury or illness to the employee or other employees. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Assembly Labor & Employment Committee.
SB 310: Failure to Pay Wages -- Penalties
Existing law allows wage claim penalties to either be recovered by an employee as a statutory penalty or by the Labor Commissioner as a civil penalty, as prescribed. This bill also would permit the penalty to be recovered through an independent civil action, as specified. CAA has concerns.
Status: Senate Labor, Public Employment & Retirement Committee.
SB 446: Data Breaches -- Customer Notification
This bill would require data breach disclosure to be made within 30 calendar days of discovery or notification of the data breach, but would authorize a business to delay the disclosure to accommodate the legitimate needs of law enforcement, as specified, or as necessary to determine the scope of the breach and restore the reasonable integrity of the data system. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Senate Judiciary Committee.
SB 590: Paid Family Leave
This bill would, commencing July 1, 2027, expand eligibility for benefits under the paid family leave program to include individuals who take time off work to care for a seriously ill designated person. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Senate Labor, Public Employment & Retirement Committee.
SB 642: Payment of Wages
This bill, among other things, would prohibit an employer from paying employees at wage rates less than the rates paid to employees of another sex instead of the opposite sex, and would require a civil action to recover wages to be commenced no later than three years after the cause of action occurs or four years if the cause of action arises out of a willful violation. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Senate Labor, Public Employment & Retirement Committee.
Vehicle Emissions
AB 272: Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection Program
This bill would require, within four years following the full implementation of the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance program, but not later than Dec. 31, 2026, the state board to provide the first of the two biennial reports on its internet website. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Assembly Transportation Committee.
SB 712: Smog Check Exemption
This bill would fully exempt a collector motor vehicle from the smog check requirement if the vehicle is at least 35 model years old and proof is submitted that the motor vehicle is insured as a collector motor vehicle, as specified. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Senate Transportation Committee.
Ignition Interlock Devices
AB 71: Ignition Interlock Devices
This bill would extend the sunset of the ignition interlock device program currently in place from Jan. 1, 2026, to Jan. 1, 2033. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 366: Ignition Interlock Devices
This bill would extend the operation of the ignition interlock device provisions indefinitely and would repeal related reporting requirements. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Assembly Public Safety Committee.
Career Technical Education
AB 401: Career Technical Education
This bill is intended to provide greater stability in funding for career technical education by automatically renewing grants awarded pursuant to the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program for three years if the grant recipient meets specified requirements. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Assembly Education Committee.
SB 343: Teaching Credentials
This bill would require the commission to grant a waiver from the minimum requirements for the three-year preliminary designated subjects career technical education teaching credential and the five-year clear designated subjects career technical education teaching credential to an individual meeting prescribed requirements, including, among other things, having a valid industry-recognized certification in a trade designated by the commission. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Senate Education Committee.
SB 845: Career Technical Education
This bill, among other things, would require the superintendent to set forth those standards in terms of a wide range of specific competencies in each career technical education subject area, rather than in each academic subject area, as specified. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Senate Education Committee.
Other Bills of Interest
AB 476: Junk Dealers and Recyclers
This bill, among other changes, would require the statement indicating ownership or the name of the person from whom the seller obtained the junk from to be signed and would require the statement to include specified information, including the legal name, date of birth, and place of residence of the seller. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Assembly Business & Professions Committee.
AB 646: Insurance: Catalytic Converter Warranty
This bill would limit the warranty benefit to the actual cost of replacing the catalytic converter if the warranty covers only the vehicle's catalytic converter. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Assembly Transportation Committee.
AB 987: Towing
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to ensure towing operators have reasonable standards. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Introduced.
AB 1338: Hazardous Waste
The bill, among other things, would require the department, on or before July 1, 2026, to convene a stakeholder working group to identify potential technologies to reduce the generation of hazardous waste. CAA is watching this bill,
Status: Assembly Environmental, Safety & Toxic Material Committee.
AB 1355: Location Privacy
This bill would prohibit a covered entity, as defined, from collecting or using the location information of an individual unless doing so is necessary to provide goods or services requested by that individual and the individual has expressly opted into the collection or use of their location information for that purpose. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Assembly Privacy & Consumer Protection.
SB 480: Autonomous Vehicles
This bill would, commencing Jan. 1, 2026, authorize an autonomous vehicle to be equipped with automated driving system (ADS) marker lamps in accordance with specified standards. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Senate Transportation Committee.
SB 682: Environmental Health: Product Safety
Prohibits a person from distributing, selling or offering for sale in the state a product that contains Polyfluoroalkyl substance, unless currently unavoidable. These substances are used in many products, including automotive products such as gaskets, shock absorbers and bushings. This bill is similar to last year’s SB 903, which died in the Senate Appropriations Committee. CAA has concerns about this bill.
Status: Senate Environmental Quality Committee.
SB 766: California Combating Auto Retail Scams Act
This bill would enact the California Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act. The bill would make it a violation of the act for a dealer to make any misrepresentation regarding material information about specified matters relating to the vehicle sale, including the costs or terms of purchasing, financing or leasing a vehicle, the availability of vehicles at an advertised price, and the remedy available if a dealer fails to sell or lease a vehicle at the offering price. CAA is watching this bill.
Status: Senate Transportation Committee.
Regulations
California Energy Commission (CEC): Replacement Tire Regulations
The California Energy Commission (CEC) continues working on replacement tire efficiency regulations that require tire retailers, including all automotive repair dealers, to display signs, provide tire efficiency disclosures to consumers and to include this information in all advertising, and ensure retailers receive training on the sale of these new efficient tires.
CAA worked with CEC to pursue exemptions for tire sellers who engage in occasional sales and to clarify for requirements relating to signs, disclosures and advertising. The association submitted suggested amendments and met with CEC to express concerns. It is awaiting the release of the revised tire regulation text and will provide updates as they become available.
Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR): Vehicle Storage Fee Regulations
The BAR is proposing new regulations that will significantly impact how automotive repair dealers charge for vehicle storage fees. Under the proposed regulations, repair dealers that perform repairs resulting from accidents or theft recoveries must report their daily storage rate to BAR annually. The proposal has raised many concerns, including how storage fees are calculated and whether BAR’s oversight could limit the rates that repair dealers can charge.
BAR: Tear Down Regulations
The BAR is proposing regulations to revise the tear-down process (disassembly to prepare and estimate) to include a description of the area of the vehicle being disassembled. If the payment amount by a third-party insurer is known, it must be included in the estimate. If the amount from the third-party insurer is not known, the repair dealer must provide a disclaimer stating it is the customer's responsibility to contact the third party for approval of payment for the repairs. The regulations also include provisions that discourage repair shops from adopting the exact insurer estimate and instead encourage shops to create their own estimate.
For more information, click here.
BAR: Citation & Fine Program
The BAR continues to increase the number of citations and fines issued to California automotive repair dealers. Automotive repair dealers may be eligible to attend an eight-hour BAR-approved remedial training course. Successful completion of this course removes the citation from the BAR website.
For more information, click here.
Right to Repair in Congress
Two competing bills are being proposed in Congress: the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act (H.R. 1566) and the Safety and First Emphasis (SAFE) Repair Act, which is expected to be introduced soon. These bills are part of ongoing efforts to legislate fair competition and consumer choice within the auto repair industry, balancing the interests of independent repair providers, manufacturers and dealerships.
