State Senators Approve Measure to Combat Organized Retail Theft Rings

The California state Capitol building in downtown Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 9, 2003. David Paul Morris/Getty Images

California’s state Senate has approved the re-enacting of a law that gives police the power to apprehend thieves and accomplices involved in organized retail theft rings.

The Senate voted 39-0 in favor of Assembly Bill 331 (AB 331) on July 15 to re-establish a law that had expired on July 1. The law includes provisions that criminalize organized retail theft and authorize the operation of the California Highway Patrol Property Crimes Task Force until Jan. 1, 2026.