SB 1159: Artificial intelligence: transparency and governance.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

The California Constitution provides that people have the right of access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business. Various provisions of existing law, including the California Public Records Act, the Legislative Open Records Act, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, and the Ralph M. Brown Act, provide, with some exceptions, for public access to government records and meetings of government bodies. Among those acts, the California Public Records Act defines “person” to include any natural person, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm, or association.

Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, governs, among other things, the procedures for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law.

Existing law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA defines “person” to include any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business, trust, corporation, limited liability company, company, district, county, city and county, city, town, and, among other things, the state.

Existing law, the California Coastal Act of 1976, establishes the California Coastal Commission and prescribes procedures for the preparation, approval, and certification of local coastal programs that regulate development in the coastal zone, as defined, in jurisdictions that have a certified local coastal program.

This bill would specify that, for purposes of the California Public Records Act, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, the Ralph M. Brown Act, the Legislative Open Records Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, the California Coastal Act of 1976, and CEQA, “person,” “interested person,” “participant,” “member of the public,” as applicable, and any other similar terms under each act referring to those who may engage with governmental agencies, do not include artificial intelligence, as defined, systems, autonomous agents, or robots, whether physical or digital. The bill would authorize governmental agencies to use a disclosure verification tool to determine if artificial intelligence is present. The bill would make findings and declarations related to these provisions.

The bill would prohibit a person from knowingly using artificial intelligence to falsely represent that a natural person appeared before, submitted information to, or otherwise engaged with a governmental agency.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 7 · Republican 2

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 30, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 863, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 30, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. August 28, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m.
4. August 20, 2026Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. August 13, 2026In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
6. August 13, 2026Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 6148.) Ordered to the Senate.
7. July 2, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. July 1, 2026From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 30).
9. June 25, 2026Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
10. June 24, 2026From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 23).
11. June 9, 2026From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
12. May 18, 2026Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD.