Ninth Circuit Blocks SB 261 Enforcement While Allowing SB 253 to Proceed

The Ninth Circuit granted an injunction pending appeal for SB 261 on November 18, 2025, halting enforcement while the case proceeded, but denied the same relief for SB 253. The split outcome reflected the court's view that SB 261's financial risk disclosure requirements raised stronger First Amendment concerns than SB 253's emissions reporting. Plaintiffs withdrew their Supreme Court emergency application, and CARB issued an advisory that it would not penalize companies for SB 261 non-compliance.