CalChamber Issues Statement on Amendments to Antitrust Legislation

For Immediate Release
Contact: John Myers
john.myers@calchamber.com | press@calchamber.com

(August 28, 2026) Sacramento, CA — The California Chamber of Commerce today issued the following statement regarding new amendments to Assembly Bill 1776 (Aguiar-Curry; D-Winters):

At the beginning of the legislative year, CalChamber identified AB 1776 as the most concerning bill on our annual list of Cost Drivers — noting that the proposal would have upended California antitrust law, threatening to significantly worsen the state’s affordability crisis and create unprecedented legal liability for every Golden State business.

While serious issues with the bill remain, new amendments have removed its most significant economic threats. As such, we are taking AB 1776 off the Cost Drivers list.

The voices of businesses from across the state have been heard loudly and clearly by their representatives in Sacramento. We applaud members of the California Senate, in particular, for working to address our concerns.

We believe that competition is the cornerstone of a free market economy. California thrives — and consumers, workers, and families win — when there are well-defined guardrails that distinguish lawful business competition from anticompetitive conduct.

CalChamber has long believed that existing law strikes the right balance. Even with recent amendments, AB 1776 is a significant change to existing law, and we remain opposed.