Referring to recent concerns about the accelerated growth and reach of artificial intelligence (AI), Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 10 acted upon a wide array of legislation to help address the perceived threats and consequences posed by the technology’s rapid development. Signing a total of 13 bills, all which place restrictions and parameters on the use of and accessibility to AI technology, the legislation is intended to provide “meaningful safeguards to protect the public.”
The vast majority of the bills were crafted with the concerns of children and youth in mind. From establishing outright prohibitions on the access to certain types of chatbots to restrictions on the access to student-level data, the overall package demonstrates that California continues to be a leader in regulating this growing technology. That said, even though California is a leader in this space, the technology continues to develop faster than public policy can govern it.
Of the 13 bills signed by the Governor, CSBA tracked and was engaged with 10 that interact with the provision of education and services to children:
Assembly Bill 2 (Lowenthal, D-Long Beach) – Injuries to children: civil penalties
- Increases penalties for social media platforms that fail to exercise ordinary care that results in an injury to a child until Jan. 1, 2035.
AB 1159 (Addis, D-Morro Bay) – Student personal information
- Establishes the Higher Education Student Information Protection Act mainly governing the protection of postsecondary student data by educational technology operators.
AB 1709 (Lowenthal) – Covered platforms: age restriction: e-Safety Advisory Commission
- Explicitly prohibits a software developer from providing an addictive feature to a user under the age of 16 and requires these platforms to implement reasonable measures to ensure that these services are not offered to youth by any means. It also establishes the e-Safety Advisory Commission within the Department of Justice to advise government on matters concerning online safety.
AB 1856 (Wicks, D-Oakland) – Age verification signals: software applications
- Extends the Digital Age Assurance Act, which passed in 2025 and requires age verification on certain applications, to apply to covered application stores and developers.
AB 2071 (Hoover, R-Folsom) – Pupil instruction: digital wellness
- Requires the California Department of Education to develop a plan to expand digital wellness instruction in California public schools.
AB 2298 (Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks) – Pupil instruction: computer science: content standards
- Requires the Instructional Quality Commission to incorporate cybersecurity skills in the next development of computer science content standards.
Senate Bill 867 (Padilla, D-San Diego) – Toys: companion chatbots
- Prohibits the manufacture or sale of a toy that includes a companion chatbot.
SB 1119 (Padilla, Wicks and Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda) – Companion chatbots: children’s safety
- Significantly regulates companion chatbots regarding children’s safety, including comprehensive regulations on operators that make such chatbots available in California.
SB 1128 (Stern, D-Los Angeles) – Pupils: technology-based materials: school-issued electronic devices
- Prohibits a school district, county office of education or charter school from requiring a pupil in kindergarten to take home a school-issued electronic device and places requirements on the use of these devices in the classroom.
SB 1276 (Rubio, D-Baldwin Park) – Crimes: sexual exploitation of a child
- Expands child sexual exploitation laws to include both digitally altered and AI-generated content.
What’s next?
The Governor has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto legislation that reached his desk in the final weeks of the 2025–26 legislative session. CSBA’s Governmental Relations team will continue to keep members apprised of developments.
Advocacy is still needed to urge the Governor to sign CSBA’s co-sponsored AB 2490 (Valencia, D-Anaheim), which would increase the time a holder of an emergency career substitute teaching permit can serve in a single classroom from 30 to 70 days. Contact Gov. Newsom now to urge him to sign AB 2490 »
