California AB 1776: State government: Pacific leatherback sea turtle.

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 Bill Text - AB-1776 Cartwright Act: violations.

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 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 06/22/26 - Amended Senate
 06/16/26 - Amended Senate
 05/18/26 - Amended Assembly
 04/09/26 - Amended Assembly
 03/23/26 - Amended Assembly
 02/09/26 - Introduced

 AB-1776 Cartwright Act: violations.(2025-2026)

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 Date Published: 06/22/2026 02:00 PM

AB1776:v94#DOCUMENTBill Start

 Amended
 IN 
 Senate
 June 22, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Senate
 June 16, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Assembly
 May 18, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Assembly
 April 09, 2026

 Amended
 IN 
 Assembly
 March 23, 2026

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

 Assembly Bill

No. 1776

Introduced by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Mark González)
(Principal coauthor: Senator Hurtado)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bains, Bonta, Connolly, Elhawary, Lee, Ortega, Rogers, and Schiavo)
(Coauthors: Senators Cortese and Padilla)

February 09, 2026

An act to add Sections 16730, 16731, and 16732 to the Business and Professions Code, relating to business regulations.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1776, as amended, Aguiar-Curry.
 Cartwright Act: violations.

Existing law, commonly known as the Cartwright Act, identifies certain acts as unlawful restraints of trade and unlawful trusts and prescribes provisions for its enforcement. Chapter 338 of the Statutes of 2025 provides that in a complaint for any violation of the Cartwright Act, it is sufficient to contain factual allegations demonstrating that the existence of a contract, combination in the form of a trust, or conspiracy to restrain trade or commerce is plausible. Chapter 338 of the Statutes of 2025 also provides that a complaint for any violation of the Cartwright Act is not required to allege facts tending to exclude the possibility of independent action. Existing case law, In re Cipro Cases I & II (2015) 61 Cal. 4th 116, establishes a rule of reason analysis for certain claims under the Cartwright Act, which, among other things, determines whether an act was made for
 the purpose of avoiding competition and whether the anticompetitive effects of the agreement outweigh any procompetitive justifications.

This bill would prohibit one or more persons from acting, causing, taking, or directing measures, actions, or events that are to unreasonably restrain trade or monopolize or monopsonize in any part of trade or commerce, as specified, or in restraint of trade. provided. The bill would prohibit anticompetitive effects in one market from being offset by purported benefits in a separate market. The bill would require courts to use the analytical framework and guidance provided in In re Cipro Cases I & II. The bill would require a
 plaintiff bringing an action under its provisions to allege, and prove at trial, market power through either direct or indirect evidence. The bill would exempt a small business, as defined, from these provisions. The bill would also make related findings and declarations. The bill would require courts to liberally interpret California’s antitrust laws to best promote free and fair competition, as provided.

 Because the bill would expand the scope of activities prohibited by the Cartwright Act, the violation of which is punishable as a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
 act for a specified reason.

Digest Key

 Vote:
 MAJORITY 
 Appropriation:
 NO 
 Fiscal Committee:
 YES 
 Local Program:
 YES 

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 16730 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

16730.

 (a) The purpose of the Cartwright Act is the promotion and protection of free and fair competition (Clayworth v. Pfizer, Inc. (2010) 49 Cal.4th 758, 783), which is fundamental to a healthy marketplace that protects all trade participants, including workers and consumers, and to an environment that is conducive to the preservation of our democratic, political, and social institutions.

(b) Protecting competition includes protecting competition between businesses when they compete for workers by prohibiting anticompetitive