CalChamber Applauds Appeals Court Ruling on Senate Bill 253 and Senate Bill 261

For Immediate Release
Contact: John Myers
john.myers@calchamber.com | press@calchamber.com

(Nov. 9, 2026) Sacramento, CA — The California Chamber of Commerce today issued a statement from President & CEO Jennifer Barrera on the ruling by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that found First Amendment violations in two climate-related state laws, SB 253 and SB 261.

The court blocked implementation of provisions in SB 253 related to “Scope 3” emissions, while fully enjoining SB 261 from taking effect.

“The appeals court has made it clear that both of these laws are clear examples of legislative overreach,” Barrera said. “SB 253 relied, in part, on a failed scheme to assess emissions possibly linked to a company’s supply chain, while SB 261 included what the judges described as a mandate for businesses to make ‘subjective ideological assessments’ of their climate related financial risks.

“In both instances, California lawmakers failed to recognize that even when addressing the issue of climate change, the ends don’t justify the means.”