AB-1609 • 2026

Customer service chatbots.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Zbur
Last action: 2026-04-22
Official status: From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary text does not provide specific details on how businesses will be punished for breaking the rules, leaving this as an open question.

Customer Service Chatbots

This bill sets rules for customer service chatbots used by large private businesses, requiring them to disclose that they are not human and providing quick access to real people when needed.

What This Bill Does

Prohibits large private businesses from representing their customer service chatbots as humans.
Requires large private businesses to provide disclosures if a reasonable person interacting with the chatbot would be misled to believe they are interacting with a human.
Ensures large private businesses give customers human help within 15 minutes of requesting it.
Makes sure large private businesses put contact information on their websites so people can reach them easily.
Allows the Attorney General or district attorneys to enforce these provisions and impose penalties for violations.

Who It Names or Affects

Large private businesses
Customers using chatbots and seeking customer service

Terms To Know

Customer Service Chatbot: A computer program designed to help customers with questions or problems.
Large Private Business: Companies that are big and private, not government-run.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if the business is in compliance with other laws during emergencies.
It's unclear how exactly businesses will be punished for breaking these rules.
Some parts of the bill might need more details to work properly, like specific requirements for telephonic customer service.

Bill History

2026-04-22 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-16 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 9. Noes 4.) (April 16). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2026-04-15 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2026-04-14 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.
2026-03-31 California Legislative Information
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2026-03-23 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2026-03-19 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.
2026-03-19 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD.
2026-01-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee February 20.
2026-01-20 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1609, as amended, Zbur.
Customer service chatbots.
Existing law prohibits a person from using a bot, as defined, to mislead another person about the bot’s artificial identity to incentivize the purchase or sale of goods or services, among other things. Existing law requires an operator of a companion chatbot, as defined, to provide a disclosure regarding the companion chatbot’s artificial identity if a reasonable person interacting with the companion chatbot would be misled to believe that the person is interacting with a human.
This bill would prohibit
an operator of a customer service chatbot available to a person in this state
a large private business, as defined,
from representing that a customer
service chatbot is a human. The bill would also require the
operator
large private business
to provide certain disclosures if a reasonable person interacting with the chatbot would be misled to believe they are interacting with a human.
The bill would require
an operator of a large online business, as specified,
a large private business
to provide
consumers
customers
with human customer service support and communications within
5
15
minutes of requesting human customer service. The bill would impose certain specific requirements on
telephonic customer service platforms and online customer service platforms. The bill would require certain operators to offer a telephonic customer service platform and post
large private businesses, and would require certain large private businesses to post
prescribed contact information on their
internet
website.
The bill would require an operator to establish and maintain a process for complaints regarding the customer’s inability to obtain assistance from a customer service agent.
The bill would authorize
the Attorney General or a district attorney
a public prosecutor
to enforce these provisions, and would make
an entity
a large private business
that
engages in a pattern or practice of violating
violates
these provisions liable for a penalty of up to $10,000. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to adopt regulations for these purposes, as specified. The bill would waive its requirements
during a state of emergency or extraordinary circumstances, as specified
due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the reasonable control of a large private business, and would exempt a large private business that provides services subject to, and is in compliance with, a specified public utilities law
. The bill would define terms for these purposes.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF