AB 160: Criminal profiteering: counterfeit labels: sales and use taxes.

Existing law, the California Control of Profits of Organized Crime Act, provides the procedure for the forfeiture of property and proceeds acquired through a pattern of criminal profiteering activity, as specified, and requires the prosecution to file a petition for forfeiture in conjunction with certain criminal charges. Under existing law, criminal profiteering activity is defined to include specified crimes, including forgery and offenses relating to counterfeit of a registered mark. Existing law also defines organized crime for the purposes of these provisions as including, among other things, specified crimes that are of a conspiratorial nature and are either of an organized nature and seek to supply illegal goods and services or crimes that, through planning and coordination of individual efforts, seek to conduct specified illegal activities.

This bill would include within the definition of criminal profiteering activity offenses relating to piracy, and insurance fraud, as specified. The bill would also broaden the definition of organized crime to include pimping and pandering, counterfeiting of a registered mark, piracy of a recording or audiovisual work, embezzlement, securities fraud, grand theft, money laundering, and forgery. By increasing the burdens on local prosecuting agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law, the Sales and Use Tax Law, imposes a tax on retailers measured by the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state, or on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased from any retailer for storage, use, or other consumption in this state. Existing law provides that a retail sale or sale at retail includes any sale by a convicted seller, as defined, of tangible personal property with a counterfeit mark on, or in connection with, that sale, regardless of whether the sale is for resale in the regular course of business. Existing law provides that storage or use includes a purchase by a convicted purchaser, as defined, of tangible personal property with a counterfeit mark on, or in connection with, that purchase, regardless of whether the purchase is for resale in the regular course of business.

Under this bill, a retail sale or sale at retail additionally would include any sale by a convicted seller of tangible personal property with a counterfeit label or an illicit label, as specified. The bill similarly would provide that storage and use additionally would include a purchase by a convicted purchaser of tangible personal property with a counterfeit label or an illicit label, as specified.

The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law, and existing law authorizes districts, as specified, to impose transactions and use taxes in accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, which generally conforms to the Sales and Use Tax Law. Amendments to state sales and use taxes are incorporated into these laws.

The amendments made by this bill would be incorporated into these laws.

This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of ²/₃ of the membership of each house of the Legislature.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.