SB 82: Contracts: consumer goods and services: dispute resolution provisions. - California

10/06/25 - Chaptered → SB82 · 1 edit

MINOR

No substantive policy changes were made between these two versions of SB 82. The differences are entirely formatting and presentation: the bill text was converted from an official chaptered (printed) layout to a web-based format with navigation elements, metadata, and minor whitespace adjustments. The statutory language of Section 1670.15 is identical in both versions.

TECHNICAL

The document was reformatted from the official chaptered print layout (with page numbers, centered headers, and 'AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' header) to a web-based bill text format including site navigation links, version history, publication date metadata, and a digest key section.

04/10/25 - Amended Senate → 09/10/25 - Enrolled · 3 edits · Sep 10, 2025

MINOR

The enrolled version of SB 82 removed a key provision that would have required arbitration agreements in consumer contracts (entered into on or after January 1, 2026) to be limited to claims arising from that specific contract. The bill was narrowed to only restrict dispute resolution terms more generally to the subject matter of the consumer use agreement, without the specific arbitration-focused language or the January 1, 2026 effective date.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed from specifically targeting arbitration agreements in consumer contracts with a future effective date, to a broader but less specific restriction on all dispute resolution terms in consumer use agreements without a stated effective date.

SCOPE

Removed the requirement that an agreement to arbitrate in a consumer contract (entered into on or after January 1, 2026) be limited to claims arising out of and relating to the contract containing the arbitration clause. This was the most targeted provision of the bill.

Subsection (a) was restructured from a substantive rule about arbitration to a definitions-only subsection. The operative limitation now rests solely in subsection (b), which limits dispute resolution terms to the use, payment, or provision of the good, service, money, or credit provided by the consumer use agreement.

TIMELINE

Removed the January 1, 2026 effective date that applied to the arbitration limitation. The enrolled version contains no specific future effective date in its operative text.

09/10/25 - Enrolled → 10/06/25 - Chaptered · 3 edits · Oct 6, 2025

MINOR

SB 82 was formally approved by the Governor on October 6, 2025 and assigned Chapter 350. The diff reflects only the administrative transition from enrolled bill to chaptered law: addition of the official state authentication header, assignment of the chapter number, insertion of the approval date, and reformatting of page numbers and text layout. No substantive legal language was changed.

TECHNICAL

The bill was assigned Chapter 350 and the Governor's approval date (October 6, 2025) was inserted in place of blank placeholders.

The official 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' header was added to mark the document as the final chaptered version.

Page numbers and text indentation were reflowed throughout to match the standard chaptered bill format.

03/17/25 - Amended Senate → 04/10/25 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Apr 10, 2025

MODERATE

SB 82 was significantly expanded to cover not just arbitration agreements but all dispute resolution terms in consumer use agreements. The bill now requires that any dispute resolution provision be limited to the specific good, service, money, or credit provided under that agreement, and adds a liberal construction clause favoring consumers plus a savings clause preserving rights under other laws.

Scope change

The bill expanded from applying only to arbitration agreements in contracts for sale or lease of consumer goods/services to applying to all dispute resolution terms in any 'consumer use agreement,' a broader category that includes contracts for money and credit in addition to goods and services.

SCOPE

The bill's scope expanded from regulating only arbitration agreements in contracts for sale or lease of consumer goods/services to covering all dispute resolution terms and conditions in any 'consumer use agreement,' which is defined more broadly as any contract a consumer enters into to use, receive, or enjoy a good, service, money, or credit.

DEFINITION

Three new definitions were added: 'consumer' (cross-referencing Business and Professions Code Section 302(c)), 'consumer use agreement' (a contract between a person and a consumer to use, receive, or enjoy a good, service, money, or credit), and 'person' (cross-referencing Business and Professions Code Section 302(d)).

REQUIREMENT

A new subdivision (b) requires that dispute resolution terms and conditions of a consumer use agreement be limited to the use, payment, or provision of the good, service, money, or credit provided by that agreement. This goes beyond the prior limitation on arbitration agreements alone.

A new liberal construction clause (subdivision d) directs that the section be liberally construed for the purpose of protecting consumers.

A new savings clause (subdivision e) states that the duties and obligations are cumulative with those under any other law, do not relieve any party from duties under other laws, and do not limit any rights or remedies under other laws.

02/27/25 - Amended Senate → 03/17/25 - Amended Senate · 2 edits · Mar 17, 2025

MINOR

SB 82 was narrowed in two ways: (1) the amendment to Code of Civil Procedure Section 43 (which addressed appellate court powers) was entirely removed, and (2) the arbitration restriction was tightened by adding 'and relating to' alongside 'arising out of,' creating a two-part test that makes it harder for businesses to force consumers into arbitration. The bill now focuses solely on limiting mandatory arbitration clauses in consumer contracts.

Scope change

The bill's scope was reduced by removing the courts-related amendment (CCP Section 43), leaving it focused exclusively on consumer contract arbitration restrictions in the Civil Code. The substantive restriction itself was also narrowed slightly by adding the 'and relating to' requirement.

SCOPE

The amendment to Code of Civil Procedure Section 43, which addressed the power of appellate courts to affirm, reverse, or modify judgments, was removed entirely. The bill no longer touches court procedure.

REQUIREMENT

The arbitration limitation was narrowed from requiring claims to 'arise out of' the contract to requiring they both 'arise out of and relate to' the contract. This two-part test makes it more difficult for a business to compel a consumer to arbitrate a claim that is only loosely connected to the contract.

01/17/25 - Introduced → 02/27/25 - Amended Senate · 4 edits · Feb 27, 2025

MODERATE

SB 82 was significantly expanded from a purely technical cleanup of a court procedure statute to include a new substantive provision limiting arbitration agreements in consumer contracts. The amended version adds Section 1670.15 to the Civil Code, which requires that for consumer goods or services contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2026, an arbitration clause can only cover claims arising from that specific contract, and any attempt to waive this requirement is void. The original technical edits to Section 43 of the Code of Civil Procedure (removing a redundant word and fixing grammar) remain.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a narrow technical amendment to one section of the Code of Civil Procedure to also include a new substantive provision in the Civil Code regulating arbitration agreements in consumer contracts, with an effective date of January 1, 2026.

SCOPE

A new Section 1670.15 was added to the Civil Code, expanding the bill from a purely technical fix to include substantive consumer contract regulation.

REQUIREMENT

For consumer goods or services contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2026, an agreement to arbitrate must be limited to claims arising out of the contract that contains the arbitration clause. Arbitration agreements that cover claims beyond the underlying contract are void and unenforceable.

ENFORCEMENT

Any waiver of the new arbitration limitation is declared contrary to public policy and void and unenforceable, meaning consumers cannot be forced to give up this protection.

TECHNICAL

Section 43 of the Code of Civil Procedure received minor technical edits: removed a redundant reference to 'Court' and changed 'if a new trial be granted' to 'if a new trial is granted.'

Contracts: consumer goods and services: dispute resolution provisions.

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