Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign SB 766, the California Combating Auto Retail Scams (CARS) Act, which was modeled in part after a similarly named and recently stalled federal initiative. The bill was passed and sent to Newsom’s desk by state legislators Thursday.

State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) led the charge for the California CARS Act, citing research showing American car buyers collectively waste $3.4 billion and 72 million hours per year on needless haggling and unwanted products.

“For years, car shoppers have often complained about deceptive practices that lead to higher prices or unfair deals,” writes Allen in a statement. “The California CARS Act will make cars more affordable, and will benefit both car buyers and honest car dealers by making the car market in California fairer and more competitive.”

In addition to promoting “total” price transparency and forbidding the sale of protection products that don’t benefit the customer to whom they are offered, SB 766 requires a three-day cooling-off period following the purchase of any used unit sold for $50,000 or less.

The Federal Trade Commission’s proposed CARS Rule, which does not include a cooling-off period, was vacated by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in January. The decision was made on procedural grounds, setting the stage for a retry as the FTC seeks the ability to directly fine dealerships when deceptive practices are alleged.

Read more at CA.gov