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California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Assembly Bill

AB 573: Cigarette and tobacco products: licensing and enforcement.

Enacted Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

AB 573 is a assembly bill introduced in the California Assembly on February 12, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: Cigarette and tobacco products: licensing and enforcement. Primary sponsor: Chris Rogers (D). It lists 7 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (October 3, 2025): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 269, Statutes of 2025.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

The Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act of 2003 requires the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to administer a statewide program to license manufacturers, distributers, and retailers of cigarettes and tobacco products.

The act requires a retailer to have in place and maintain a license to engage in the sale of cigarettes or tobacco products. The act requires a $265 fee to be submitted with the application for the license. Existing law requires every retailer to file an application for renewal of the license accompanied by a $265 fee per retail location.

This bill would make conforming changes to the provisions describing the application process for the license described above and recast that license as a retailer license. The bill would require each application for a retailer license filed on or after July 1, 2026, to be accompanied by a fee of $450 per retail location. The bill would increase the fee for renewal of a retailer license to $450 for renewal applications filed on or after July 1, 2026. The bill would authorize the department to adjust application and renewal fees applicable after July 1, 2026, to an amount not exceeding $600 per retail location to maintain the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Compliance Fund at a level that is no more than necessary to cover the reasonable costs of the department to administer the act.

The act requires a retailer who sells tobacco products that are exempt from taxation under the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Tax Law to pay a fee of $265 for the issuance or renewal of a license.

This bill would recast that license as a retailer license and make other conforming changes. The bill would require each application for a retailer license filed on or after July 1, 2026, to be accompanied by a fee of $450 per retail location. The bill would increase the fee for renewal of a retailer license to $450 for renewal applications filed on or after July 1, 2026. The bill would authorize the department to adjust application and renewal fees applicable after July 1, 2026, to an amount not exceeding $600 per retail location to maintain the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Compliance Fund at a level that is no more than necessary to cover the reasonable costs of the department to administer the act.

This bill would require the Legislative Analyst, on or before December 1, 2027, and again on or before December 1, 2029, to prepare and submit reports to the Legislature on the tobacco retailer enforcement landscape, including enforcement of California’s flavor, youth access, taxation, and licensing laws. The bill would require specified state agencies to cooperate with the Legislative Analyst in the preparation and production of the report. The bill would repeal those reporting requirements on January 1, 2034.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 8

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Chris RogersPrimary sponsorDemocraticAssembly2
Dawn AddisCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly30
Patrick AhrensCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly26
Tasha BoernerCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly77
Damon ConnollyCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly12
Alex LeeCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly24
Sharon Quirk-SilvaCo-sponsorDemocraticAssembly67
Susan RubioCo-sponsorDemocraticSenate22

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 269, Statutes of 2025.
  2. Approved by the Governor.
  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
  4. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 62. Noes 1. Page 3198.).
  5. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
  6. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 2735.).
  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
  8. Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
  9. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
  10. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (August 29).
  11. In committee: Referred to suspense file.
  12. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (July 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page