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Part ofPrice Gouging →
SB 493CALIFORNIASession 20252026
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California SB 493 adds war-related emergencies to state price-gouging protections

Original title: Unlawful business practices: price gouging.

August 30, 2026

Price GougingConsumer ProtectionEmergency PowersState LawUnlawfulbusinesspracticespricegouging

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The Frame

What this does

This bill extends legal price caps on essential goods to war-related crises, potentially limiting price spikes for residents during international conflicts that impact local supply chains.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Consumers

Consumers are protected from price increases exceeding 10% on essential goods during war-related emergencies.

Businesses

Businesses are prohibited from raising prices on essential goods by more than 10% during periods covered by the emergency declaration.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 30, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

SB 493 expands California's price-gouging laws to include emergencies caused by war, prohibiting businesses from increasing prices on essential goods by more than 10% during such periods. This protection applies only after the President or Governor declares an emergency and the Attorney General confirms a link between the war and price increases.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

This bill extends legal price caps on essential goods to war-related crises, potentially limiting price spikes for residents during international conflicts that impact local supply chains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill stop all price increases during a war?
No. It only applies if the President or Governor declares an emergency and the Attorney General confirms that the war is causing price increases for essential goods.
What is the price limit during an emergency?
Businesses cannot sell or offer to sell essential goods or services for a price more than 10% higher than what was charged immediately before the emergency was declared.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Expansion of Emergency Definitions

The bill represents a shift in how California defines emergency conditions by moving beyond natural and manmade disasters to include international geopolitical events (war).

Attorney General

Connected Entities

personPresident of the United States“Authority to declare an emergency that triggers price gouging protections.”Map →
locationCalifornia“The jurisdiction where the law applies.”Map →
otherPenal Code Section 396“The specific state law being amended.”Map →
organizationAttorney General“The official responsible for issuing written opinions linking war to price incre”Map →
personGovernor“Authority to declare an emergency that triggers price gouging protections.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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