California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sunday to combat corruption by public officials, protect consumers and hold crypto fraudsters accountable, including a ban on public officials issuing meme coins.
"While the scam that is Donald Trump continues to hurt American families, California is fighting to make our economy work for people, not the powerful. No official should profit off their office — and we're putting stronger protections in place to ensure it doesn't happen in our state," Newsom said.
Assembly Bill 2409, by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim), prevents any California public officials from issuing meme coins and stops companies from listing any meme coin that uses the likeness or image of a public official. A meme coin is a type of cryptocurrency built around an internet joke, celebrity or trend, with prices usually driven by hype and speculation rather than an underlying business or practical use. The press release said President Trump launched his own meme coin in 2025, and that recent reporting shows nearly 1 million buyers have lost more than $3 billion while the sitting President walked away with a profit of roughly $636 million.
Senate Bill 1208, by Senator Tim Grayson (D-Concord), targets crypto fraud and money laundering, establishing guidelines to ensure restitution for victims of crypto scams and a clear legal process for seizing crypto assets from transnational criminal networks.
Other signed measures expand consumer protections. Assembly Bill 1349, by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), requires full refunds for canceled, postponed or rescheduled events and bans speculative ticket sales. Assembly Bill 1640, by Assemblymember Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco), the California Restaurant Reservation AntiPiracy Act, and Assembly Bill 1954, by Assemblymember Ward (D-San Diego), prohibit unauthorized third parties from selling restaurant and tee time reservations for profit.
Assembly Bill 2561, by Assemblymember Valencia, and Senate Bill 923, by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), strengthen consumer control of online data, expanding the right to delete personal information and barring operating systems or apps from undoing a user's privacy settings without consent. Senate Bill 354, by Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), sets new rules for how insurers collect, process, retain and share personal information.
Additional bills address political ethics and elections, including Assembly Bill 1789 by Tasha Boerner (D-Encinitas), Assembly Bill 2592 by Blanca Pacheco (D-Downey), Assembly Bill 2691 by Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay), and Assembly Bill 1640. Californians can report government fraud, waste and abuse through stopfraud.ca.gov.