AB-1064 • 2026

Leading Ethical AI Development

Children Parental Rights Privacy Technology

Vetoed

The latest official action shows the governor vetoed this bill. Check the bill history to see whether lawmakers later overrode that veto.

Sponsor: Bauer-Kahan
Last action: 2026-01-22
Official status: Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill was vetoed but it's uncertain if lawmakers will override the veto.

Leading Ethical AI Development

The Leading Ethical AI Development (LEAD) for Kids Act prohibits companies from making chatbots available to children if these chatbots could foreseeably encourage harmful behaviors such as self-harm, suicidal thoughts, violence, drug or alcohol use, and eating disorders.

What This Bill Does

Prohibits entities that make companion chatbots available to users from providing these chatbots to children unless the chatbots are not foreseeable to cause harm to children.
Allows the Attorney General to impose fines on companies if they violate this law.
Enables a child who is harmed by a violation of this act or their parent/guardian to sue and get compensation.

Who It Names or Affects

Companies, partnerships, corporations, business entities, and state or local government agencies that make chatbots available to users.
Children who use these chatbots.
Parents or guardians of children using these chatbots.

Terms To Know

Companion Chatbot: An artificial intelligence system designed for conversation and interaction with humans, often used by children.
Civil Penalty: A fine or other punishment imposed by a government agency to enforce compliance with laws.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill was vetoed by the governor and it is unclear if lawmakers will override this veto.
It does not specify how companies should ensure chatbots are safe for children.

Bill History

2026-01-22 California Legislative Information
Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2025-10-13 California Legislative Information
Vetoed by Governor.
2025-09-23 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
2025-09-11 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 60. Noes 8. Page 3334.).
2025-09-10 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-10 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 31. Noes 6. Page 2800.).
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-05 California Legislative Information
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).
2025-08-18 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-17 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-16 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (July 15).
2025-06-11 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-02 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 59. Noes 12. Page 1935.)
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (May 23).
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)
2025-05-14 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-05-05 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-05-01 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-04-30 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 29).
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 10. Noes 3.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-28 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-03-10 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2025-02-20 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1064, Bauer-Kahan.
Leading Ethical AI Development (LEAD) for Kids Act.
The California AI Transparency Act requires a person that creates, codes, or otherwise produces a generative artificial intelligence system that has over 1,000,000 monthly visitors or users and is publicly accessible within the geographic boundaries of the state to make available an AI detection tool at no cost to the user that, among other things, allows a user to assess whether image, video, or audio content, or content that is any combination thereof, was created or altered by the covered provider’s generative artificial intelligence system. The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 prohibits certain businesses from selling or sharing the personal information of consumers if the business has actual knowledge that the consumer is less than 16 years of age, unless the consumer, if the consumer is at least 13 years of age and less than 16 years of age, or the consumer’s parent or
guardian, if the consumer is less than 13 years of age, has affirmatively authorized the sale or sharing of the consumer’s personal information.
This bill, the Leading Ethical AI Development (LEAD) for Kids Act, would, among other things related to the use of certain artificial intelligence systems by children, prohibit a person, partnership, corporation, business entity, or state or local government agency that makes a companion chatbot available to users from making a companion chatbot available to a child unless the companion chatbot is not foreseeably capable of doing certain things that could harm a child, including encouraging the child to engage in self-harm, suicidal ideation, violence, consumption of drugs or alcohol, or disordered eating.
The act would authorize the Attorney General to recover a certain civil penalty for a violation of the bill, as prescribed. The act would authorize a child who suffers
actual harm as a result of a violation of the bill, or a parent or guardian acting on behalf of that child, to bring a civil action to recover, among other relief, actual damages.
This bill would provide that its provisions are severable.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF