Status Update on California AI, Privacy and Technology-Related Bills

By: Kewa Jiang

Introduction

On September 12, the first year of California’s biennial legislative session officially closed. The bills that passed at the end of the 2025 legislative year will be considered by Governor Gavin Newsom. Governor Newsom has until October 12, 2025 to either sign, veto, or take no action on the passed bills.

The biennial legislative structure allows Californian legislators to introduce bills in either the first or second year of the session or to carry-over bills introduced in the first year into the second year. The first year begins in January of every odd numbered year (e.g. 2025) and concludes in September. Legislators then reconvene in January of the following even numbered year (e.g. 2026) until November. The current legislative session will reconvene on January 5, 2026.

Below is an at glance update of the current status of several privacy, artificial intelligence, and technology related bills introduced in 2025. For a brief summary of each bill, please see here.

Bill Status Chart as of September 12, 2025

Bill Number	Bill Name	Status
AB 322                (Ward)	Precise Geolocation Information	As of August 29, held under submission. Bill was gutted and amended with provisions from AB 1355. Bill is dead.
AB 566 (Lowenthal)	California Opt Me Out Act	As of September 12, passed both the Senate and Assembly. Awaiting the Governor’s signature. Passed, pending Governor’s signature.
AB 1018 (Bauer-Kahan)	Automated Decisions Safety Act	As of September 12, ordered to inactive file but proceeding as a two-year bill. 2-year bill.
AB 1043             (Wicks)	Digital Age Assurance Act	As of September 12, passed both the Senate and Assembly. Awaiting the Governor’s signature. Passed, pending Governor’s signature.
AB 1064            (Wicks)	Leading Ethical AI Development (LEAD) for Kids Act.	As of September 12, passed both the Senate and Assembly. Awaiting the Governor’s signature. Passed, pending Governor’s signature.
SB 238 (Smallwood-Cuevas)	Workplace surveillance tools	As of July 16, passed the Senate but failed to advance out of the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee. Bill is dead.
SB 361       (Becker)	Data broker: data collection and deletion	As of September 12, passed both the Senate and Assembly. Awaits the Governor’s signature.   Passed, pending Governor’s signature.
SB 420             (Padilla)	Automated decision systems	As of June 9, jointly referred to the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection and Judiciary Committee but failed to advance out of committees. Bill is dead.
SB 435 (Wahab)	CCPA: sensitive personal information	In June 2025, the original bill about residential care facilities for the elderly was gutted and amended into a privacy bill.   On July 16, the bill failed to pass out of the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, but was granted reconsideration so it remains alive as a two-year bill. The author stated she will work with California businesses over the summer to revise the bill. 2-year bill.
SB 690       (Caballero)	Crimes: Invasion of privacy	Advanced to Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee as a two-year bill. 2-year bill.
SB 771 (Stern)	Social Media Platforms Endangering Californians	As of September 12, passed both the Senate and Assembly. Awaits the Governor’s signature. Passed, pending Governor’s signature.

Glossary of California Legislative Terms

Reference: Definitions from the California Glossary of Legislative Terms.

• Consent calendar: File containing bills which have received no dissenting votes and which have received unanimous agreement to pass.

• Engrossed bill: Whenever a bill is amended, the printed form of the bill is proofread to make sure all amendments are inserted properly. After being proofread, the bill is “correctly engrossed” and is therefore in proper form.

• Enrolled bill: Whenever a bill passes both houses of the Legislature, it is ordered enrolled. In enrollment, the bill is again proofread for accuracy and then delivered to the Governor. The “enrolled bill” contains the complete text of the bill with the dates of passage certified by the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the Assembly.

• Gut and amend: Refers to the legislative process by which bill provisions are entirely removed and replaced with new provisions. Oftentimes, the new provisions may address a completely different subject than the initial bill that was introduced.
  Resource: “Gut-and-Amend Bills” in the California Legislature by Chris Micheli
  
• Legislative intent bill: A “placeholder” bill introduced by a legislator that will be amended later. Sometimes these bills will include broad declarations about the subject the legislator intends to address.
  Resource: How to Draft an Intent Bill by Chris Micheli
  
• Spot bill: A bill that amends a code section in such an innocuous way as to be totally non-substantive. The bill has been introduced to assure that a germane vehicle will be available at a later date after the deadline has passed to introduce bills. At that future date, the bill can be amended with more substance included. Similar to a legislative intent bill and serves as a “placeholder.”
  Resource: How to Draft a Spot Bill by Chris Micheli
  
• Held in suspense file: Bills that meet a specific fiscal impact threshold are held by the Assembly or Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Each Appropriations Committee then meets to vote on whether a bill passes out of the Appropriations Committee or is held under submission. Bills held in a suspense file often die in committee unless it is converted into a two-year bill.
  Resources:
  • California Senate Appropriations Committee FAQ
  • Considering fiscal measures and the suspense file process by Chris Micheli
  • California lawmakers quietly sideline bills in secretive suspense process by Ryan Sabalow

• Inactive File: The portion of the Daily File containing legislation that is ready for floor consideration, but, for a variety of reasons, is dormant. An author may move a bill to the inactive file, and move it off the inactive file at a later date. During the final weeks of the legislative session, measures may be moved there by the leadership as a method of encouraging authors to take up their bills promptly.

• Readings: Presentation of a bill before the house by reading the title thereof. A bill is either in first, second, or third reading until it is passed by both houses.

• Reconsideration: A motion giving the opportunity to take another vote on the item in question. The motion for reconsideration must be accepted by a majority of the members present and voting.

• Two-year bill: A bill introduced in the first year of the biennial legislative session (odd number year) that is then carried over to the second year (even number year). This bill must pass out of its house of origin by January 31 of the second year to remain alive. The deadline does not apply to bills that passed out of its house of origin during the first year.
  Resource: What are Two-Year Bills? By Chris Micheli