CaliforniaCompanion chatbots: crisis interruption pauses.
What it does
Existing law requires, among other things related to ensuring the safety of companion chatbots, an operator to prevent a companion chatbot on its companion chatbot platform from engaging with users unless the operator maintains a protocol for preventing the production of suicidal ideation, suicide, or self-harm content to the user, as specified.
More detail
This bill, the Preventing AI User Self Endangerment (PAUSE) Act, would require an operator to adopt and make publicly available a policy governing its protocol for identifying and responding to credible crisis expressions and, for each companion chatbot an operator makes available to users in this state, implement a system for monitoring and detecting credible crisis expressions in user conversations with companion chatbots. The bill would require, if the monitoring system detects a credible crisis expression, the operator to take certain actions, including commence a crisis interruption pause, as specified. The bill would define "credible crisis expression" to mean a statement by a user of a companion chatbot that reasonably indicates, as determined through contextual analysis rather than keyword detection alone, intent to harm the user or others.
This bill would require an operator of a companion chatbot to document certain information related to credible crisis expressions and crisis interruption pauses and, beginning January 1, 2028, annually report that information to the Office of Suicide Prevention. The bill would provide for its enforcement, as specified.
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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
- Jun 26In committee: Set, final hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.Latest
- Jun 22In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
- Jun 12In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
- Jun 3Referred to Coms. on P., D.T., & C.P. and HEALTH.Minor
- May 21In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 1988 Pellerin Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 21Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 5214.)Passed Assembly
- May 18Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (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. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 21
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 16From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 16). Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Health]. 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
- Apr 13(Pending re-refer to Com. on HEALTH)Minor
- Apr 13Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Page 4580.)
- Mar 9Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and HEALTH.Minor
- Feb 14From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
- Feb 13Read first time. To print.Introduced