California Legislature Mulls $100 Million Antitrust Penalty

California lawmakers are proposing to ratchet up the maximum criminal penalties for companies that violate the state’s antitrust law from $1 million to $100 million.

A bill (SB 763) filed in the state Senate on Friday would strengthen California’s Cartwright Act, the more than 100-year-old law the state’s attorney general has used to sue companies including Amazon.com Inc. and the energy trading firm Vitol.

The legislation, authored by state Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D), would increase fines for individuals from $250,000 to $1 million per violation under the law.

Felony violations would also carry longer prison sentences of ...