SB 1365: Price gouging.

This bill aims to amend the California Business and Professions Code to regulate business practices, specifically price gouging, during times of emergency. Under the existing law, known as the Cartwright Act, any trust or business found to be engaging in anti-competitive practices can be prosecuted and fined. The proposed bill would expand this law to allow cities with a population over 750,000 to initiate and prosecute actions against businesses that engage in price gouging. The bill would also modify the existing law to exempt price increases for housing that can be directly attributed to additional costs incurred within the year prior to the emergency declaration. The definition of "housing" would be expanded to include any rental housing without regard to the length of the initial lease term. Additionally, the bill would make changes to the existing law to provide that no reimbursem…