SB 813: Independent verification organizations.

Official summary

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

Existing law requires, on or before September 1, 2024, the Department of Technology, within the Government Operations Agency, to conduct, in coordination with other interagency bodies as it deems appropriate, a comprehensive inventory of all high-risk automated decision systems that have been proposed for use, development, or procurement by, or are being used, developed, or procured by, any state agency. Existing law requires the department to annually submit a report of that comprehensive inventory to the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection and the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization.

Existing law, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, among other things related to ensuring the safety of certain artificial intelligence models, requires a large frontier developer to write, implement, and clearly and conspicuously publish on its internet website a frontier AI framework that applies to the large frontier developer’s frontier models and describes how the large frontier developer approaches, among other things, incorporating national standards, international standards, and industry-consensus best practices into its frontier AI framework.

This bill would require, on or before January 1, 2028, the Government Operations Agency to take certain actions related to the selection and regulation of certain entities, defined as “independent verification organizations,” designated by the agency as having demonstrated expertise in assessing the risks posed by an AI system or model and identifying the metrics and methodologies that form the basis for that assessment. The bill would require the agency to convene working groups to solicit stakeholder input in the identification of standards and the development and revision of procedures and criteria, as specified. The bill would require the agency to provide a report to the Legislature on the findings of the working groups and would require a designated IVO to submit annually, and no sooner than 12 months after initial designation as an IVO, to the agency and Legislature a report, as specified.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 3

“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 9, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 179, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 9, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. September 8, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
4. August 30, 2026Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. August 30, 2026In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
6. August 30, 2026Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 67. Noes 6. Page 6872.) Ordered to the Senate.
7. August 26, 2026Ordered to third reading.
8. August 26, 2026Read third time and amended.
9. August 26, 2026Joint Rule 61(b)(16) suspended. (Ayes 61. Noes 0. Page 6562.)
10. August 25, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
11. August 24, 2026Ordered to second reading.
12. August 24, 2026Withdrawn from committee.