On May 12, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of former CFPB Director Rohit Chopra to serve as secretary of the state’s new “Business and Consumer Services Agency.” The governor said the new agency, which was established through a government reorganization last year, will officially launch on July 1 and will “bring together” various licensing, enforcement and other functions, including within California’s DFPI, Department of Consumer Affairs, and Department of Real Estate, among others. Chopra led the CFPB from 2021 to 2025, a tenure that the governor’s office characterized as yielding close to $10 billion in consumer refunds and penalties and driving a campaign against so-called “junk fees.” Prior to that role, Chopra served as a commissioner on the FTC, where, according to the governor’s office, he helped foster “more robust antitrust enforcement.”

Chopra, who still requires confirmation by the state Senate before assuming the role, stated that “California will be firing on all cylinders to make sure markets aren’t rigged against families and small businesses.” Chopra further remarked that the agency would “work to protect the public in health care, technology, financial services, and more.”