AB 909: Financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult: fraudulent transactions: liability.
This bill aims to protect victims of financial abuse of elderly or dependent adults by increasing civil penalties for financial institutions that fail to report known or suspected abuse. The bill would also limit the liability of victims who suffer financial abuse due to non-compliance to the lesser of $50 or the amount obtained in the fraudulent transaction. Additionally, the bill requires financial institutions to investigate and determine if a consumer is a victim of financial abuse within a certain timeframe if they receive notice that the consumer believes they are a victim.
| Feb. 02, 2026 | From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. |
| Jan. 31, 2026 | Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution. |
| Apr. 01, 2025 | Re-referred to Com. on B. & F. |
| Mar. 28, 2025 | Referred to Coms. on B.&F. and JUD. |
| Mar. 28, 2025 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B.&F. Read second time and amended. |
| Amended IN Assembly March 28, 2025 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Schiavo |
February 19, 2025 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1798.97.1 of the Civil Code is amended to read:1798.97.1.
For purposes of thisSEC. 2.
Section 11109 is added to the Commercial Code, to read:11109.
This division does not displace, as described in Section 1103, the principles of law and equity, including the law merchant and the law relative to capacity to contract, principal and agent, estoppel, fraud, misrepresentation, duress, coercion, mistake, bankruptcy, and other validating or invalidating cause.SEC. 3.
Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 11600) is added to Division 11 of the Commercial Code, to read:CHAPTER 6. Fraudulent Transfers
11600.
(a) California residents reported losing over one billion four hundred thirty-four million dollars ($1,434,000,000) to fraud in 2023.11601.
(a) “Abuse of an elder or dependent adult” has the same meaning as defined in Section 15610.07 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.11602.
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), an injured consumer’s liability for a fraudulently induced transaction shall not exceed the lesser of either of the following:11603.
(a) A person who receives the proceeds of a fraudulently induced transaction and knows, or should know, of the transaction’s fraudulently induced nature shall be liable to a reimbursing institution in an amount equal to the amount reimbursed by the reimbursing institution to the injured consumer.11604.
A financial institution shall, in the periodic statement required under Sections 1637 and 1693d of Title 15 of the United States Code or similar law, disclose to a consumer, in readily understandable language, both of the following:11605.
(a) (1) Subject to subdivision (c), if a financial institution, within 60 days of transmitting to a consumer documentation pursuant to Section 11604, receives oral or written notice in which the consumer does all of the following, the financial institution shall investigate the alleged reasons and determine whether the consumer is an injured consumer within 10 business days:11606.
(a) An injured consumer may bring a civil action against a financial institution that fails to comply with this chapter, except for a fraudulently induced transaction that has been resolved in accordance with Section 11605, to obtain all of the following relief:SEC. 4.
Section 90003 of the Financial Code is amended to read:90003.
(a) It is unlawful for a covered person or serviceSECTION 1.SEC. 5.
15630.1.
(a) As used in this section, “mandated reporter of suspected financial abuse of an elder or dependent adult” means all officers and employees of financial institutions.(2)