Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) announced on May 12 that Rohit Chopra will serve as secretary of California’s new Business and Consumer Services Agency (BCSA), bringing one of the nation’s most prominent consumer protection leaders to California state government.

Chopra previously served as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and as a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, where he led efforts to crack down on junk fees, corporate misconduct and unfair practices harming consumers and small businesses.

The BCSA, which was established by Newsom through a government reorganization in 2025, will bring together a broad range of licensing, enforcement and other functions that ensure fair competition and treatment for consumers and businesses across a number of sectors of California’s economy. The agency officially launches July 1.

“As the Trump administration turns its back on consumers, we need strong and fearless leaders to keep protecting Californians,” Newsom said in a release. “Rohit Chopra has shown exactly that kind of leadership — taking bold action, standing up for working families, and enforcing real consumer protections. I look forward to our ongoing partnership as we build on our work to protect families, hold bad actors accountable, and advance affordability across California.”

“While 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,” Chopra said. “By bringing together dozens of boards, bureaus, and departments under one roof, California’s new agency will work to protect the public in health care, technology, financial services, and more.” 

As federal protections have been rolled back, California’s government has made efforts to:

• Crack down on junk fees and hidden charges
• Increase oversight and accountability for oil companies
• Launch CalRx to lower prescription drug costs
• Strengthen online privacy and consumer data protections
• Expand enforcement against scams and predatory practices
• Increase corporate transparency and accountability

The BCSA will build on those efforts by strengthening oversight, improving coordination across departments, and modernizing California’s consumer protection framework.

The BCSA includes the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board, Department of Cannabis Control, Cannabis Control Appeals Panel, California Horse Racing Board, Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Real Estate, and the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. 

Under the previous administration, Chopra served as CFPB director from 2021 to 2025, leading the CFPB’s mission in overseeing mortgages, credit cards, student loans, and other consumer financial products. During Chopra’s tenure, the CFPB recovered nearly $10 billion in refunds and penalties from companies that broke the law. Among other efforts,

In 2017, Chopra was nominated by President Trump and subsequently confirmed by the Senate unanimously to serve as a Commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, where he served until 2021. He helped hold violators of trade laws accountable, strengthened sanctions against bad actors, and helped create more robust antitrust enforcement.