California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
California AB 1609
Customer service chatbots.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- Zbur (Democratic)
Summary
Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary
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.
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.
Text versions
- 09/28/26 - Chaptered· Sep 28, 2026
- 09/04/26 - Enrolled· Sep 4, 2026
- 08/20/26 - Amended Senate· Aug 20, 2026
- 08/13/26 - Amended Senate· Aug 13, 2026
- 06/25/26 - Amended Senate· Jun 25, 2026
- 06/10/26 - Amended Senate· Jun 10, 2026
- 04/14/26 - Amended Assembly· Apr 14, 2026
- 03/19/26 - Amended Assembly· Mar 19, 2026
- 01/20/26 - Introduced· Jan 20, 2026
- AB1609
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 12:03 AM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31, 2026 House | AB 1609 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Aug 30, 2026 Senate | 3rd Reading AB1609 Zbur By Umberg | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Aug 13, 2026 Senate | Do pass as amended | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Aug 3, 2026 Senate | Placed on suspense file | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Jun 30, 2026 Senate | Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Jun 22, 2026 Senate | Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| May 27, 2026 House | AB 1609 Zbur Assembly Third Reading | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| May 14, 2026 House | Do pass. | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Apr 21, 2026 House | Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Apr 16, 2026 House | Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
Actions
- Sep 28, 2026 · Legislature
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 733, Statutes of 2026. - Sep 28, 2026 · Legislature
Approved by the Governor. - Sep 14, 2026 · Legislature
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1:30 p.m. - Aug 31, 2026 · House
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 58. Noes 18. Page 6964.). - Aug 30, 2026 · House
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. - Aug 30, 2026 · Senate
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 29. Noes 9.). - Aug 24, 2026 · Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading. - Aug 20, 2026 · Senate
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading. - Aug 17, 2026 · Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading. - Aug 13, 2026 · Senate
Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading. - Aug 13, 2026 · Senate
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 13). - Aug 3, 2026 · Senate
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file. - Jul 1, 2026 · Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. - Jun 25, 2026 · Senate
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD. - Jun 23, 2026 · Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 22). Re-referred to Com. on JUD. - Jun 10, 2026 · Senate
From 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. - Jun 10, 2026 · Senate
Referred to Coms. on P., D.T., & C.P. and JUD. - May 28, 2026 · Senate
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. - May 27, 2026 · House
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 56. Noes 16.) - May 18, 2026 · House
Read second time. Ordered to third reading. - May 14, 2026 · House
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (May 14). - May 6, 2026 · House
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. - Apr 22, 2026 · House
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. - Apr 16, 2026 · House
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 9. Noes 4.) (April 16). Re-referred to Com. on JUD. - Apr 15, 2026 · House
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P. - Apr 14, 2026 · House
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended. - Mar 31, 2026 · House
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee. - Mar 23, 2026 · House
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P. - Mar 19, 2026 · House
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended. - Mar 19, 2026 · House
Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD. - Jan 21, 2026 · House
From printer. May be heard in committee February 20. - Jan 20, 2026 · House
Read first time. To print.