Technology & Innovation

Establishes a process for telephone companies to be relieved of last-resort service obligations in well-served areas. Requires telephone companies to expand fiber optic networks to three times their current customer base within 6 years. Creates a new grant fund to help public safety agencies upgrade their emergency communications technology. Mandates companies provide discounted services to low-income customers for 24 months after status changes.

Expands the Lifeline program to provide low-income households with affordable broadband internet access. Requires internet providers to offer plans with 100Mbps download speeds for $30 or less monthly. Prohibits requiring customers to bundle internet with phone service to receive the Lifeline discount. Program expires in 2032 unless renewed by the Legislature.

Requires internet providers to offer $15 monthly high-speed internet plans to low-income households. Mandates minimum speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload for affordable internet plans. Assigns oversight exclusively to the Department of Technology starting January 2027. Exempts small providers with fewer than 50,000 subscribers in areas with no other service options.

Requires state agencies to establish human oversight of artificial intelligence systems managing critical infrastructure. Mandates specialized AI safety training for personnel overseeing critical infrastructure systems. Requires annual safety assessments of AI systems that could impact transportation, energy, and emergency services. Exempts existing automated systems from oversight requirements if human monitoring would destabilize operations.

Requires automated online accounts using AI to disclose they are bots when first communicating with users. Mandates bots to answer truthfully when asked if they are human or automated. Authorizes state officials to impose $1,000 fines per violation of bot disclosure requirements.

Establishes safety regulations for AI companion chatbots to protect users from psychological harm. Requires operators to implement suicide prevention protocols and refer users to crisis services. Mandates regular notifications reminding users they are interacting with artificial intelligence. Requires annual reporting of suicide-related incidents and third-party compliance audits.

Requires AI companies to warn consumers about legal risks of misusing digital replica technology by December 2026. Establishes penalties up to $25,000 per day for AI companies that fail to provide required consumer warnings. Expands false impersonation laws to include the malicious use of AI-generated digital replicas. Mandates courts to develop new rules for handling AI-generated evidence by January 2027.

Establishes a state registry system for AI auditors who evaluate artificial intelligence systems in California. Requires AI auditors to enroll with the state, pay fees, and follow strict reporting requirements by January 2027. Prohibits AI auditors from working for companies they audit within 12 months before or after an audit. Creates a public reporting system for misconduct by AI auditors and mandates 10-year retention of audit records.

Requires AI platforms with over 1 million monthly users to provide free AI detection tools for digital content. Mandates large online platforms to clearly label AI-generated content with system and provenance information. Requires camera and device manufacturers to embed origin data in photos and videos by default. Imposes $5,000 daily fines per violation for companies that fail to comply with disclosure requirements.

Prohibits AI systems from using children's personal data without parental consent for those under 13 years old. Bans the development of AI chatbots designed to form emotional bonds with children in California. Requires AI developers to prevent children from accessing AI systems not intended for minors. Authorizes the Attorney General to impose $25,000 penalties per violation and allows victims to sue for damages.

Requires California to develop a statewide AI cybersecurity playbook by July 2026 to combat emerging threats. Mandates information sharing between state AI contractors about potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Establishes strict confidentiality rules for shared cybersecurity threat information. Creates a dedicated cyber incident response team to detect and address threats across California.

Prohibits autonomous vehicles from making commercial deliveries without a human safety operator present. Imposes fines of $10,000 for first violations and $25,000 for subsequent violations. Requires a comprehensive safety and employment impact report by January 2031. Prevents deployment permits until one year after legislative review of the impact report.

Establishes CalCompute, a public cloud computing system to advance safe and ethical AI development in California. Creates whistleblower protections for AI employees who report critical safety risks in foundation models. Requires AI companies to provide anonymous reporting systems for employees to disclose potential safety risks. Mandates a detailed framework for CalCompute's implementation by January 2027.

Establishes a new program within the Attorney General's office to build expertise in artificial intelligence. Requires the Attorney General to designate a specialized team for handling AI-related legal and policy issues. Mandates collaboration with academic institutions and civil rights organizations on AI system analysis. Requires annual public reports to the Legislature on AI developments starting July 2027.

Requires manufacturers to report crashes involving self-driving features within 5 days to the DMV. Mandates reporting when crashes result in injuries, deaths, airbag deployment, or impacts with pedestrians. Imposes daily fines of $27,874 on manufacturers who fail to report qualifying crashes. Requires DMV to publish crash data online while protecting personal and business information.

Requires autonomous vehicles to display special marker lights when self-driving systems are engaged starting 2026. Mandates autonomous vehicles to store sensor data for 30 seconds before any collision for 3 years. Requires manufacturers to maintain $5 million in insurance coverage for autonomous vehicle testing. Establishes new safety standards requiring drivers to monitor and be ready to control autonomous vehicles.

Prohibits defendants from claiming AI systems autonomously caused harm in civil lawsuits. Establishes a legal definition of artificial intelligence for civil liability cases. Applies to all AI systems made available to Californians since January 2022.

Requires AI developers to document and disclose copyrighted materials used to train their AI models. Mandates developers to respond within 30 days to copyright owners' requests about their content use. Establishes penalties of $1,000 per violation for developers who fail to provide required information. Exempts AI models trained exclusively on public data or used for noncommercial research.