Bill > SB659

This bill amends the Parent's Accountability and Child Protection Act to strengthen regulations around selling age-restricted products to minors. The bill expands existing requirements for businesses to verify a purchaser's age when selling products that are illegal to sell to minors, such as firearms, tobacco, fireworks, and certain dangerous items. It introduces more stringent civil penalties for businesses that violate these regulations, including increased financial penalties for online businesses based on the severity of the violation (ranging from the maximum amount in a limited civil case to 20 times that amount). The bill specifically targets online businesses with gross revenues over $100 million and requires them to implement robust age verification methods, such as requiring government-issued identification, using non-prepaid credit cards, or implementing account restrictions for minors. Additionally, the bill allows parents or legal guardians to bring civil actions against businesses that sell restricted products to minors, and it provides for potential business suspension for repeated violations. The legislation aims to protect minors from accessing potentially harmful or illegal products by creating stronger enforcement mechanisms and more significant financial consequences for non-compliance.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB659