Governor Gavin Newsom signed five bills into law on August 22, including legislation regulating the use of artificial intelligence within the State Bar of California and privacy protections for immigration service providers, as the state legislature enters its final nine days before adjourning on August 31. The signings add to a session that has produced the largest concentration of AI-related legislation in any state, with approximately 30 additional measures still advancing through the pipeline toward the governor’s desk.
Key Takeaways
- Newsom signed AB 1651, which regulates AI use in the development or administration of the State Bar exam, and AB 2624, which establishes privacy protections for immigration support services providers.
- Three additional bills signed the same day address child custody mediation procedures, financial posting requirements for local agencies, and preventative health instruction in public schools.
- The California legislature has published 136 AI-related bills this session, with 8 enacted so far and roughly 114 still pending as the August 31 adjournment deadline approaches.
- SB 928, which requires California State University instructors to be human rather than AI-generated, has cleared both chambers and awaits the governor’s signature.
- Pending measures still in play include bills addressing personalized pricing using consumer data, employer use of automated decision systems, chatbot safety for children, and a proposed AI safety certification commission.
AB 1651 Addresses AI in the State Bar Exam Process
AB 1651, authored by Assemblymember Diane Dixon of Newport Beach, governs how artificial intelligence can be used in the development or administration of the California State Bar exam. The bill passed the Assembly 68-0 in April and cleared the Senate 36-0 in June before returning to the Assembly for concurrence. The two chambers reached agreement on the final text in early August, and the bill was sent to Newsom on August 10.
The legislation addresses a specific application of AI within a regulatory body that controls access to the legal profession in a state with more than 190,000 active attorneys. As AI tools become capable of generating exam questions, evaluating written responses, and assisting in test design, AB 1651 establishes guardrails for how the State Bar integrates those tools into an examination process that determines who can practice law in California. Dixon, a Republican, secured bipartisan support with no opposition votes in either chamber.
AB 2624 Establishes Privacy Protections for Immigration Service Providers
AB 2624, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta of Oakland, creates privacy protections for providers of immigration support services. The bill responds to concerns about how personal data collected by organizations assisting immigrants with legal paperwork, applications, and other services is stored, shared, and potentially exposed. In a state where immigration policy intersects with both technology and civil liberties, the measure adds a layer of data protection to a category of service providers that handles sensitive personal information from vulnerable populations.
The bill arrives in a legislative environment where California has been steadily expanding its privacy infrastructure. The state’s Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform, known as DROP, launched in January 2026 as a tool allowing Californians to submit a single deletion request to all registered data brokers. As of August 1, 2026, data brokers are required under the Delete Act to process those requests, and beginning January 1, 2028, they must undergo independent third-party audits every three years.
Roughly 30 AI Bills Survived Suspense Hearings and Are Still Moving
The August 22 signings represent a small slice of the AI and technology legislation moving through Sacramento this session. On August 13, the Senate and Assembly appropriations committees held back-to-back suspense hearings that determined the fate of approximately 30 AI-related bills in a single compressed vote. Bills that survived those hearings now have until August 31 to pass both chambers and reach the governor.
Among the measures still advancing, SB 928 has already cleared both chambers and awaits Newsom’s signature. Authored by Senator Cervantes, the bill requires that California State University instructors be human, not AI, a direct response to the growing capability of AI systems to deliver educational content in formats that can approximate human instruction. The Senate approved SB 928 unanimously in April, and the Assembly passed it on August 13.
Other bills still in the pipeline address a range of AI applications. AB 2564 raises the question of whether businesses should be permitted to use personal consumer data to customize prices, a practice known as algorithmic or personalized pricing. SB 947 would establish new rules governing how employers use automated decision systems in workplace decisions affecting hiring, scheduling, and performance evaluation. A separate set of measures targets chatbot safety for children, AI copyright transparency, and worker protections from algorithmic management. A proposed first-in-the-nation AI safety certification commission is also among the bills that survived the August 13 suspense vote.
California’s AI Regulatory Footprint Has Expanded Across Multiple Fronts in 2026
The legislative push comes on top of executive actions Newsom has taken throughout 2026 to position California as the national leader in AI governance. In March, Newsom signed an executive order strengthening civil rights and privacy protections in the state’s procurement of AI technology. In May, a separate executive order directed California to prepare workers, small businesses, and communities for the economic disruption that AI is expected to bring to the workforce, the first order of its kind issued by any state. On August 10, Newsom launched an AI-powered cybersecurity initiative that pairs the Cal-Secure 2.0 framework with machine learning tools to protect state agencies and critical infrastructure.
The California AI Transparency Act, enacted in 2025 and amended by AB 853, took effect on August 2, 2026, making California the first state to operate a comprehensive provenance and watermarking mandate for AI-generated content. The law requires covered developers to offer free AI content detection tools, apply visible disclosures, and embed latent provenance markers in generated material.
Nationally, 85 AI-related laws have been passed across 27 states so far in 2026, according to a mid-year report from the Transparency Coalition. California, with 136 published AI bills this session alone, accounts for a disproportionate share of the legislative activity. The state’s regulatory choices carry outsized influence because California’s technology industry generates more venture capital funding than the rest of the country combined, a figure Newsom highlighted on August 24 when he announced that California-based companies have raised $366 billion in venture capital in 2026.
FAQs
What Does AB 1651 Do?
AB 1651 regulates how artificial intelligence can be used in the development or administration of the California State Bar exam. The bill establishes guidelines for the State Bar’s integration of AI tools into the examination process that determines who can practice law in the state.
When Does the California Legislative Session End?
The California legislature adjourns on August 31, 2026. August 21 was the last day for floor amendments, and all remaining bills must pass both chambers by the adjournment deadline to reach the governor. Bills that do not clear both houses by August 31 will not advance.
How Many AI Bills Is California Considering This Session?
California has published 136 AI-related bills in the 2025-2026 legislative session. As of mid-August, 8 have been enacted and approximately 114 remain pending at various stages of the legislative process. Roughly 30 bills survived appropriations suspense hearings on August 13 and are advancing toward final floor votes.
