SB-867 • 2026

Toys: companion chatbots.

Children Crime

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Padilla
Last action: 2026-06-04
Official status: Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and APPR.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms or penalties beyond mentioning civil liability.

Toys with Companion Chatbots

This law prohibits toy makers from manufacturing or selling toys that include companion chatbots until January 1, 2031.

What This Bill Does

Prohibits the manufacture and sale of toys containing companion chatbots until January 1, 2031.
Applies civil liability rules for operators of companion chatbot platforms to toy makers.

Who It Names or Affects

Toy manufacturers
Companies that run chatbot platforms

Terms To Know

Companion Chatbot: An artificial intelligence system with a natural language interface that provides adaptive, human-like responses to user inputs and is capable of meeting a user’s social needs.
Civil Liability: The responsibility for paying damages when someone breaks the law or causes harm.

Limits and Unknowns

This bill only applies until January 1, 2031.
It does not specify what happens after this date.

Bill History

2026-06-04 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and APPR.
2026-05-28 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2026-05-28 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2026-05-26 California Legislative Information
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2026-05-18 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-05-14 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2026-05-14 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (May 14).
2026-05-08 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 14.
2026-04-20 California Legislative Information
April 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2026-04-10 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 20.
2026-04-07 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0. Page 3741.) (April 6). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-03-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 6.
2026-02-23 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P., D.T., & C.P.
2026-02-18 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on P., D.T., & C.P. and APPR.
2026-01-06 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 5.
2026-01-05 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 867, as amended, Padilla.
Toys: companion chatbots.
Existing law regulates the sale, manufacture, and exchange of toys in the state and prohibits the manufacture, sale, or exchange, possession with intent to sell or exchange, and exposition or offer for sale or exchange to a retailer a toy that is contaminated with a toxic substance, as provided. Violation of these provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor.
Existing law requires an operator of a companion chatbot platform, as defined, to issue a clear and conspicuous notification indicating that the companion chatbot is artificially generated and not human if a reasonable person interacting with a companion chatbot would be misled to believe that the person is interacting with a human. For these purposes, existing law defines a “companion chatbot” to mean an artificial intelligence system with a natural language interface that provides
adaptive, human-like responses to user inputs and is capable of meeting a user’s social needs, including by exhibiting anthropomorphic features and being able to sustain a relationship across multiple interactions. Existing law also requires an operator to take certain actions with respect to a user the operator knows is a minor, including to disclose to the user that the user is interacting with artificial intelligence. Violation of these provisions is subject to civil liability.
This bill would, until January 1, 2031, prohibit the manufacture, sale, exchange, possession with intent to sell or exchange, and exposition or offer for sale or exchange to a retailer a toy, as defined, that includes a companion chatbot, and would make violations of the bill subject to the same civil liability as violations of the provisions applicable to operators of companion chatbots in the above-described paragraph.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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