On May 12, 2026, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of Rohit Chopra, former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, to lead California’s newly created Business and Consumer Services Agency (BCSA). If confirmed by the California Senate, Chopra will serve as the first secretary of the BCSA when the agency officially becomes operative on July 1, 2026.
The BSCA will function as an umbrella cabinet agency, overseeing a broad collection of California regulatory departments, including the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Real Estate, Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Department of Cannabis Control, California Horse Racing Board, and related appeals bodies.
Per the governor’s office, the BCSA will spearhead a coordinated effort to build on existing consumer protection initiatives by “strengthening oversight, improving coordination across departments, and modernizing California’s consumer protection framework amid growing threats from weakened federal enforcement.”
Gov. Newsom lauds Chopra as a leader with a record of “taking bold action, standing up for working families, and enforcing real consumer protections.”
As an FTC commissioner from 2018-2021, Chopra supported more aggressive rulemaking and enforcement efforts and openly acknowledged his efforts to encourage “vigorous agency enforcement” and to demand “aggressive remedies against lawbreaking companies.” And during his tenure as CFPB director from 2021-2025, Chopra oversaw the agency’s recovery of nearly $10 billion in refunds and penalties from companies charged with violating the law.
Looking ahead to his role as BCSA secretary, Chopra promises that “[w]hile federal agencies are making life more expensive and enriching special interests, California will be firing on all cylinders to make sure markets aren’t rigged against families and small businesses.”
The governor’s office confirms that under Chopra’s leadership, the enforcement priorities in California will continue to include:
- Cracking down on junk fees and hidden charges
- Strengthening online privacy and consumer protection enforcement
- Expanding enforcement against scams and predatory practices
- Increasing corporate transparency and accountability.
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