AB 686CaliforniaProcess complete

Elections: deceptive audio or visual media.

What it does

Official summary

Existing law, until January 1, 2027, prohibits a person, committee, or other entity, within 60 days of an election at which a candidate for elective office will appear on the ballot, from distributing with actual malice materially deceptive audio or visual media of the candidate with the intent to injure the candidate's reputation or to deceive a voter into voting for or against the candidate, unless the media includes a disclosure stating that the media has been manipulated, subject to specified exemptions.

More detail

Existing law, until January 1, 2027, authorizes a candidate for elective office whose voice or likeness appears in audio or visual media distributed in violation of this section to seek injunctive or other equitable relief prohibiting the distribution of the deceptive audio or visual media; authorizes a candidate whose voice or likeness appears in the deceptive audio or visual media to bring an action for general or special damages against the person, committee, or other entity that distributed the media; and authorizes the court to award a prevailing party reasonable attorney's fees and costs. A court is required to place such proceedings on the calendar in the order of their date of filing and give them precedence.

This bill would extend the repeal date of these provisions to January 1, 2031.

Where do you stand?

Tell your reps

Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.

More on this bill

Where it stands

IntroducedFeb 14, 2025
Passed AssemblyMay 27
Passed SenateAug 24, 2026
To GovernorSep 9
Became LawSep 19

Looking ahead

No hearings or votes scheduled.

History

2026
1. Sep 19Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 334, Statutes of 2026.Latest
2. Sep 19Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
3. Sep 9Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1 p.m.To Governor
4. Aug 30Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 63. Noes 14. Page 6861.).Major
  - Vote recorded AB 686 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
5. Aug 28From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 6. Noes 2.) (August 28).Minor
  - Vote recorded With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in. Result: pass.Lower
6. Aug 26Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 6621.)
7. Aug 25Re-referred to Com. on ELECTIONS. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.Minor
8. Aug 24In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
  - Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB686 Berman et al. By Allen. Result: pass.Upper
9. Aug 24Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 6.).Passed Senate
10. Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
11. Aug 13Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
  - Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
12. Aug 13From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (August 13).Major
13. Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
  - Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
14. Jul 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
15. Jun 30From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
  - Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
  - Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
16. Jun 15Re-referred to Coms. on E. & C.A., JUD., and APPR.Minor
17. Jun 11Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(c).Minor
18. Jun 10Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
19. Jun 9Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
20. Jun 9Ordered to second reading.Minor
21. Jun 9From inactive file.
2025
1. Sep 4Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Laird.
2. Aug 20Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
3. Aug 19From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.Minor
4. Jun 30From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
  - Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
5. Jun 4Referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.Minor
6. May 28In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
7. May 27Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1740.)Passed Assembly
  - Vote recorded AB 686 Berman Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
8. May 22Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
9. May 21From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 21).Minor
  - Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
10. Apr 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
  - Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
11. Mar 3Referred to Com. on B. & P.Minor
12. Feb 15From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.
13. Feb 14Read first time. To print.Introduced

Issue with this bill?

AB 686CaliforniaProcess complete

Elections: deceptive audio or visual media.

What it does

Official summary

More detail

This bill would extend the repeal date of these provisions to January 1, 2031.

Where do you stand?

Tell your reps

Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.

More on this bill

Where it stands

IntroducedFeb 14, 2025
Passed AssemblyMay 27
Passed SenateAug 24, 2026
To GovernorSep 9
Became LawSep 19

Looking ahead

No hearings or votes scheduled.

History

2026
1. Sep 19Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 334, Statutes of 2026.Latest
2. Sep 19Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
3. Sep 9Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1 p.m.To Governor
4. Aug 30Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 63. Noes 14. Page 6861.).Major
  - Vote recorded AB 686 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
5. Aug 28From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 6. Noes 2.) (August 28).Minor
  - Vote recorded With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in. Result: pass.Lower
6. Aug 26Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 6621.)
7. Aug 25Re-referred to Com. on ELECTIONS. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.Minor
8. Aug 24In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
  - Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB686 Berman et al. By Allen. Result: pass.Upper
9. Aug 24Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 6.).Passed Senate
10. Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
11. Aug 13Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
  - Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
12. Aug 13From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (August 13).Major
13. Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
  - Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
14. Jul 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
15. Jun 30From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
  - Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
  - Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
16. Jun 15Re-referred to Coms. on E. & C.A., JUD., and APPR.Minor
17. Jun 11Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(c).Minor
18. Jun 10Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
19. Jun 9Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
20. Jun 9Ordered to second reading.Minor
21. Jun 9From inactive file.
2025
1. Sep 4Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Laird.
2. Aug 20Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
3. Aug 19From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.Minor
4. Jun 30From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
  - Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
5. Jun 4Referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.Minor
6. May 28In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
7. May 27Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1740.)Passed Assembly
  - Vote recorded AB 686 Berman Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
8. May 22Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
9. May 21From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (May 21).Minor
  - Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
10. Apr 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
  - Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
11. Mar 3Referred to Com. on B. & P.Minor
12. Feb 15From printer. May be heard in committee March 17.
13. Feb 14Read first time. To print.Introduced

Issue with this bill?

What it does

Where do you stand?

Choose your position

Tell your reps

More on this bill

Where it stands

Looking ahead

History

What it does

Where do you stand?

Choose your position

Tell your reps

More on this bill

Where it stands

Looking ahead

History