By Perla Chavez
SACRAMENTO, CA – California State Senator Nancy Skinner’s office Wednesday announced legislation to reduce retail theft and prevent fentanyl addiction were approved by the California State Senate.
As a part of the state Senate’s Safer California Plan, SB 1144, Shutting Down the Market for Stolen Goods, and SB 950, Healthy Recovery, Successful Reentry received bipartisan approval, reports Skinner’s office.
The statement said SB 1144 ensures the sale of stolen items and retail theft are not enabled by the enhancement of California’s regulations on online marketplaces. Among individuals returning home after incarceration, SB 950 intends to decrease the rate of fentanyl addiction.
Sen. Skinner (D-East Bay) states in the report, “Online marketplaces are a valuable tool to buy and sell legitimate goods and services, but increasingly they’re also the method organized retail theft operators rely on to unload stolen goods.”
“By requiring high-volume sellers to prove the legitimacy of their business and the goods they’re selling, SB 1144 will make it a lot harder for retail thieves to use online marketplaces as giant fencing operations,” Sen. Skinner added.
Sen. Skinner’s 2022 law, SB 301, would be strengthened as a result of SB 1144, to regulate the sale of stolen goods online, said the lawmaker, noting online marketplaces have increased theft, with $500 billion in stolen products reported yearly.
The statement notes the enhancement SB 1144 adds to Sen. Skinner’s SB 301 by requiring online marketplaces to regulate high-volume sellers who complete sales offline, closing a loophole that allows some to bypass current regulations.
SB 1144 expands on SB 301 by having high-volume third-party sellers comply with SB 301 regardless of payment, and online platforms flag and act against suspected high-volume sellers of stolen goods, the lawmaker’s office maintains, adding local authorities can follow up with civil charges against individuals selling stolen goods or online marketplaces, and consumers are informed of verified high-volume sellers.
Regarding drug addiction, Sen. Skinner said in the released statement, “To help break the cycle of drug addiction and recidivism, SB 950 will ensure that the health care, supportive services, and substance use treatment that many formerly incarcerated people rely on can continue as they return home.”
SB 950’s mission, said Skinner, is to aid in breaking the cycle of drug addiction and recidivism, and is carried out by requiring the Board of State and Community Corrections and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to collaborate on expanding services for inmates.
The statement adds the CDCR is required to assist incarcerated people eligible for community resources to apply before release and ensure re-entry facilities inmates are enrolled in essential services for successful reentry.
While SB 1144 won bipartisan approval in the Senate on a 33-1 vote, SB 950 was passed unanimously on a vote of 39-0. Both bills are now directed to the state Assembly.
