Californians may be eligible for a gas settlement payment. Here's what you need to know

LOS ANGELES -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta is urging California residents who purchased gas in Southern California between February 20, 2015 and November 10, 2015 to submit a claim for a payment under the state's settlement with gas trading firms for tampering with and manipulating gasoline prices in the state.

If you purchased gasoline in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and/or Imperial counties during that time, you may be eligible for a payment.

Eligible Californians may submit a claim online at www.CalGasLitigation.com.

How much each claimant will receive is unknown at this time and will depend on how many claims are submitted. Claims must be submitted by January 8, 2025.

"Market manipulation and price gouging are illegal and unacceptable, particularly during times of crisis when people are most vulnerable," said Attorney General Bonta. "I am proud to deliver money back to Californians who were victims of gas price manipulation. As the People's Attorney, I am committed to combating corporate greed and ensuring justice for the people of California."

In July, Bonta announced a $50 million settlement with gas trading firms, alleging that Vitol, Inc. and SK Energy Americas, Inc., along with its parent company SK Trading International, secretly worked together to tamper with and manipulate spot market prices for California gasoline.

The Attorney General's settlement is in addition to a settlement of a private class action lawsuit filed in federal court.

California lawmakers advance bill that aims to keep gas prices from spiking

The California state Assembly approved a bill Tuesday backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom aimed at preventing gas prices from spiking, particularly in late summer months when demand for gas goes up.

The legislation would authorize state energy regulators to set requirements for companies to maintain a certain level of fuel on hand - using existing storage to avoid gas prices from increasing suddenly when refineries go offline for maintenance. The state would have to determine first that the benefits of any minimum inventory rules outweigh the potential cost to consumers under the bill.

The Assembly also advanced a bill requiring state energy officials to release a report to lawmakers by July 1, 2025, on proposals to increase gas supply. The bills still need the state Senate's approval before reaching the governor's desk.

Proponents of the bill say it would save Californians billions of dollars at the pump. But opponents say it could unintentionally raise overall gas prices and threaten the safety of workers by giving the state more oversight over refinery maintenance schedules. They argued delaying necessary maintenance could lead to accidents.

Californians pay the highest rates at the pump due to taxes and environmental regulations. The average price for regular unleaded gas in the state is about $4.68 per gallon as of Tuesday, compared to the national average of $3.20, according to AAA.

Gas prices increase more in California than in the rest of the country, according to the California Energy Commission. That is in part because only four refiners supply about 90% of the state's gas, meaning one refiner's decision to go offline for maintenance has a greater impact on the market, said Tai Milder, director of the commission's Division of Petroleum Market Oversight.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.