CaliforniaCustomer service chatbots.
What it does
Existing law prohibits a person from using a bot, as defined, to mislead another person about the bot's artificial identity to incentivize the purchase or sale of goods or services, among other things. Existing law requires an operator of a companion chatbot, as defined, to provide a disclosure regarding the companion chatbot's artificial identity if a reasonable person interacting with the companion chatbot would be misled to believe that the person is interacting with a human.
More detail
This bill would prohibit a large private business, as defined, from representing that a customer service chatbot is a human. The bill would also require the large private business to provide certain disclosures if a reasonable person interacting with the chatbot would be misled to believe they are interacting with a human.
This bill would require a large private business to provide a customer service feature allowing customers to contact a customer service agent during its regular business hours, as defined. This bill would require, except as specified, large private businesses to make a good faith effort to connect a customer to an agent within 15 minutes after a request for human customer service is made, or schedule an appointment with the customer, as specified. For online chatbot customer service platforms and telephonic customer service platforms, the bill would require a large private business to make a good faith effort to limit initial and cumulative telephonic hold times, and would require certain large private businesses to post prescribed contact information on their internet website.
The bill would authorize a public prosecutor to enforce these provisions, and would make a large private business that violates these provisions liable for a penalty of up to $5,000 for an initial violation, and $10,000 for each subsequent violation. The bill would waive its requirements due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the reasonable control of a large private business or extraordinary or emergency situations, and would exempt a large private business that provides services subject to, and is in compliance with, specified public utilities law. The bill would further exempt exclusive business lines and communications by a hospital, as specified, and a consumer reporting agency, as prescribed. The bill would define terms for these purposes.
Where do you stand?
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 28Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 733, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 28Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 14Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1:30 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 31Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 58. Noes 18. Page 6964.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 1609 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 30In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB1609 Zbur By Umberg. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 30Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 29. Noes 9.).Passed Senate
- Aug 24Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 20Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 13Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 13).Major
- Aug 3In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 30
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 25From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 22). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Jun 22
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 10From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on P., D.T., & C.P.Major
- Jun 10Referred to Coms. on P., D.T., & C.P. and JUD.Minor
- May 28In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- May 27Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 56. Noes 16. Page 5457.)Passed Assembly
- Vote recorded AB 1609 Zbur Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 18Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (May 14).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- May 6In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Apr 22From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 21
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 16From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 9. Noes 4.) (April 16). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 15Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.Minor
- Apr 14From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 31In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- Mar 23Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.Minor
- Mar 19From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 19Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD.Minor
- Jan 21From printer. May be heard in committee February 20.
- Jan 20Read first time. To print.Introduced