California & AI: We're On It!
The Straight Talk Series
Your federal government may leave you hanging in the wind as far as regulating AI, but if you live in the Golden State, California's got your back!
Here's the thing though — lawmakers passed roughly 30 AI-related bills this session, and reading through actual bill text to figure out what any of it means for you is nobody's idea of a good time. So that's what I'm doing instead: going through these one by one and writing "straight talk" posts — what the bill actually does, why it exists, and whether it's something that affects your day-to-day life — so you don't have to wade through legislative language to find out.
A few ground rules for this series: I'm translating, not opining. My job here is to tell you what's in the bill and why it came to exist, not to tell you what to think about it — you can draw your own conclusions just fine.
Below is the master list of what's moved this session, plus a couple from 2024 that started this whole ball rolling. I'll link each bill to its full blog post as I get each one posted. Please be patient — I've only started this project this week (September 24, 2026), and this takes time, in between... you know... that pesky thing known as Real Life™.
Just this session, fall of 2026, California lawmakers passed roughly 30 AI-related bills this session, and Governor Newsom has until September 30 to sign or veto each one. He's signed about 20 so far, and about a dozen more are still waiting on him.
Here's the list of what we have so far, just this session (also, not comprehensive yet; see 2nd paragraph above):
AB 2 — Injuries to children: civil penalties.
SB 243 — "Adam's Law": broader companion chatbot regulation (crisis protocols, parental controls, disclosure reminders); applies more broadly and doesn't ban chatbots outright.
AB 302 — Pupil and parental communication: extracurricular activities: addictive feeds.
SB 813 — establishing a framework for independent verification organizations that can assess AI systems and models for safety and risk.
SB 867 — Bans toy makers from manufacturing or selling any toy with a built-in AI companion chatbot for kids under 16. See: https://www.alliemccormack.com/post/california-ai-chatbots-for-children
AB 1018 — The broader "consequential decisions" AI bill: hiring/employment algorithms, bias audits (more hiring-focused than monitoring).
SB 1050 — Requires "clear and conspicuous disclosure" when an ad prominently features a "synthetic performer." See: https://www.alliemccormack.com/post/california-ai-ad-performers
SB 1119 — Companion chatbots: children's safety.
SB 1128 — Pupils: technology-based materials: school-issued electronic devices.
AB 1159 — Student personal information.
AB 1221 — Broader workplace surveillance bill: requires 30 days' notice before monitoring, bans facial/gait/emotion-recognition tech, and bars inferring protected traits (immigration status, health, religion, etc.).
AB 1331 — Companion bill also targeting workplace surveillance limits.
AB 1405 — State registry for AI auditors that assess AI systems and models for compliance with state law and establishing standards for their independence, transparency, and integrity.
AB 1542 — Sensitive data: replaces the current opt-out approach with a broad ban on selling or sharing sensitive personal information like location, health, and biometric data.
AB 1709 — Covered platforms: age restriction: e-Safety Advisory Commission.
AB 1856 — Age verification signals: software applications.
AB 1883 — Forbids employers from using AI to monitor an employee's emotional state. See: https://www.alliemccormack.com/post/california-ai-workplace-oversight
AB 1946 — Reporting mechanism: child sexual abuse material.
AB 2071 — Pupil instruction: digital wellness.
AB 2246 — Online service, product, or feature: access by children.
AB 2298 — Pupil instruction: computer science: content standards.
But it didn't just start in 2026! Way back in 2024, California, unlike SCOTUS (<--yes that's an opine...), moved decisively to protect our children from Child Sexual Abuse Material:
SB 1381 — Child CSAM to include AI. See: https://www.alliemccormack.com/post/california-ai-csam
AB 1831 — Child CSAM to include AI. See: https://www.alliemccormack.com/post/california-ai-csam
FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE:
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