Bills and regulations under consideration span from towing and storage, glass repair shops, disability access, workplace surveillance and more. Here’s where they stand.
Sacramento, Calif.—The State Legislature introduced more than 2,000 bills this year including ones that will affect automotive repair. As the session moves forward, Jack Molodanof, legislative advocate for the California Autobody Association and the Automotive Service Councils of California, is monitoring the bills.
Below is his summary of key measures and where they stand today.
Legislation
Towing & Storage
SB 1112 – Vehicles: Towing companies and storage facilities – Concerns
Amendments requested to exempt BAR registered auto repair shops. This bill allows vehicle owners, lienholders, or insurers of a vehicle to post a bond with the court to direct the storage yard to release the vehicle. It also requires all automotive repair shops to post new signs stating owner’s rights pursuant to this section.
Status: Assembly Appropriations Committee – Held in Committee – Died
Vehicle Glass Repair Shops
SB 988 – Motor Vehicle Glass Act – Concerns as Originally introduced
Amendments Requested and accepted by author which clearly define glass repair shops as a business that primarily engages in glass replacement. This bill would, among other things, impose new disclosure and documentation requirements on glass repair shops, including advance notice about advanced driver assistance systems, calibration needs, written confirmation of calibration results, and itemized invoices and receipts.
Status: Governor’s Desk.
Electric Vehicle Batteries
SB 615 – Electric Vehicle Batteries – Watch
This bill would create a new state regulatory program governing vehicle traction batteries. Beginning July 1, 2028, battery suppliers would be required to permanently label new traction batteries, while remanufacturers would have to rebrand and relabel remanufactured batteries. Suppliers and remanufacturers would also face new registration and reporting requirements, and battery suppliers would be required to pay annual fees beginning in 2029 to cover the state’s costs of administering and enforcing the program.
Status: Governor’s Desk.
ADA Lawsuits
SB 84 – Disability access: construction-related accessibility claims – Support
This bill would require small businesses (50 or fewer employees) to be given notice of alleged accessibility violations and 120 days to correct them before a lawsuit for statutory damages can proceed. It also limits liability if violations are timely corrected and prevents plaintiffs from bypassing these requirements by recharacterizing claims under federal disability law.
Status: Assembly Judiciary Committee – Held in Committee – Died.
Employment
AB 1331 – Workplace Surveillance – Concerns
This bill would limit the use of workplace surveillance tools, as defined, by employers, including by prohibiting an employer from monitoring or surveilling employees in a bathroom located in the workplace, except as specified. The bill would provide an employee with the right to leave behind workplace surveillance tools that are on their person or in their possession when entering a bathroom.
Status: Governor’s Desk.
AB 1883 – Workplace Surveillance – Concerns
This bill would prohibit an employer from using a workplace surveillance tool that uses artificial intelligence to collect neural data or recognize an individual’s emotional state.
Status: Governor’s Desk.
Vehicle Emissions
SB 1392 – Smog Check; Exemption: Collector Motor Vehicle – Watch
The bill, known as Jay Leno’s Law, would expand the definition of a collector motor vehicle to include vehicles at least 35 model years old that meet BAR regulations. Beginning January 1, 2028, it would gradually exempt qualifying collector vehicles from California’s smog certificate requirements, expanding the exemption by one model year each year until 2033, when vehicles manufactured before the 1986 model year would be exempt.
Status: Governor’s Desk.
Career Technical Education
SB 1222 – Career Technical Education Technical Assistance – Watch
This bill would establish the Career Technical Education Technical Assistance and Equity Pilot Program, a 3-year pilot program related to technical assistance in CTE, with a focus on equity and inclusion. The bill would appropriate $4,000,000 from the General Fund to the Superintendent for allocation to the lead agency for purposes of implementing the pilot program for the 2026–27 fiscal year.
Status: Senate Appropriations Committee – Held in Committee – Died
Other Bills of Interest
AB 1865 – Text message advertisements – Watch
This bill would prohibit the transmission of text message advertisements to recipients between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. PST, regardless of whether the recipient has consented to receive such messages. The bill would also authorize a recipient who receives a text message advertisement in violation of this timing restriction to bring a civil action against a transmitter who knew, or should have known, that the advertisement violated this prohibition.
Status: Assembly Appropriations Committee – Held in Committee – Died.
SB 354 – Insurance Consumer Privacy Protection Act – Watch
This bill would create and update standards for the collection, processing, retaining, or sharing, collectively known as “processing,” of consumers’ personal information by licensees and their third-party service providers.
Status: Governor’s Desk.
SB 1069 – Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Devices – Watch
This bill would allow manufacturers of aftermarket vehicle or engine parts to obtain a conditional approval from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to sell, advertise, or install their products while awaiting a final Executive Order. If CARB does not act on a complete application within 30 days, the application is automatically deemed conditionally approved.
Status: Governor’s Desk.
HR 141 – Relative to tire affordability – Support
The California State Assembly asks the Energy Commission to review the Replacement Tire Efficiency Program.
Status: Introduced – Died.
Regulations
California Energy Commission (CEC) Replacement Tire Regulations – Oppose
The CEC approved regulations requiring replacement tires sold in California to meet specified efficiency (low rolling resistance) and safety standards, including wet grip performance. These new rules prohibit tire retailers, including automotive repair dealers that sell or replace tires, from selling or offering for sale any non-California-compliant tires. Although retailers would rely on manufacturer certifications, they would still be responsible for ensuring that all tires they sell are approved and listed as compliant. Shops would need to verify that their inventory meets regulatory requirements, likely through supplier assurances and database checks. The first phase will start in January 2029.
For more details, see link.
BAR Vehicle Storage Fee Regulations – Concerns
The BAR is in the process of adopting regulations that would significantly impact how automotive repair dealers charge vehicle storage fees and set a troubling precedent for the future. The proposal raises several concerns, including allowing BAR to publicly survey shops and requiring shops to post vehicle storage rates.
For more details, see link.
BAR Tear Down and Towing Regulations – Proposed Amendments
New BAR regulations impose requirements on automotive repair dealers, including, but not limited to, requiring shops that arrange towing on behalf of a customer to list towing fees on a separate document rather than including them in the repair estimate. Due to concerns raised about the towing fee documentation requirements, BAR has indicated that it plans to make regulatory changes to these provisions. The associations are working with BAR to address these concerns.
See link, pages 19-20.
BAR Internet-Based Advertising Regulations – Proposed Clarification
These new regulations require all shops to clearly display in any internet-based advertising the following 1) the Business name; 2) the ARD registration number and 3) the phone number registered with BAR. Due to questions and concerns with regard to phone numbers, BAR has indicated that they were going to provide further through revised regulations. The associations will work with BAR to make sure clarification is provided for the industry.
See link pages 21-22.
BAR Airbag Safety Regulations
BAR is proposing regulations that would prohibit an automotive repair shop from installing or using any component designed to mislead a vehicle owner into believing a functional airbag has been installed. Shops would be required to restore any airbag that is part of an inflatable restraint system to its original operating condition, as designed by the original equipment manufacturer. In addition, shops would be required to purchase all airbag replacement parts or components from the manufacturer or an authorized supplier or reseller and retain receipts for all parts purchased and received.
See link for details.
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