PRESS RELEASE

PR26-93
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2026
Contact: sospress@sos.ca.gov 
 

California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., Announces Proponent Withdraws Initiative to Expand Liability and Impose Duties on Rideshare Companies Regarding Sexual Misconduct 
 

Sacramento, Calif. – California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. announced today that an initiative eligible for the November 3, 2026, General Election ballot has been withdrawn by the proponent.  

The Attorney General's official title and summary of the measure is as follows:  

EXPANDS LIABILITY AND IMPOSES DUTIES ON RIDESHARE COMPANIES REGARDING SEXUAL MISCONDUCT. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Classifies rideshare companies as “common carriers” under California law (like taxis, buses, and trains), requiring those companies to exercise a heightened standard of care to avoid harm to passengers. Makes rideshare companies legally responsible for sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, against riders or drivers, regardless of whether driver is an independent contractor. Requires rideshare companies to publish monthly report of sexual misconduct incidents and notify riders of known risks of sexual misconduct associated with a matched driver. Requires annual fingerprinting and background checks for rideshare drivers. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased state costs likely ranging from the low tens of millions of dollars to the mid-tens of millions of dollars annually to process driver fingerprint background checks, potentially to be covered by fees. Increased state court costs ranging from the millions of dollars to the low tens of millions of dollars annually to process increased civil case workload. Increased costs to CPUC in the low millions of dollars annually to develop, implement, and enforce new regulations, to be covered by fees paid by rideshare companies. (25-0029A1.) 

Pursuant to Elections Code section 9604(b), proponents may withdraw an initiative at any time before the Secretary of State certifies it as qualified. 

The proponent of the initiative is James C. Harrison. The address for the proponent is c/o James C. Harrison and Quentin Barbosa, Olson Remcho, LLP, 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814. The proponent may also be contacted at (916) 442-2952, jharrison@olsonremcho.com, and qbarbosa@olsonremcho.com. 

For more information about how an initiative qualifies for the ballot in California, visit https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/how-qualify-initiative/. 

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