California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
California AB 1988
Companion chatbots: crisis interruption pauses.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- Pellerin (Democratic)
Summary
Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary
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.
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.
Text versions
- 04/14/26 - Amended Assembly· Apr 14, 2026
- 02/13/26 - Introduced· Feb 13, 2026
- AB1988
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 16, 2026, 8:07 AM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2026 House | AB 1988 Pellerin 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] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Apr 16, 2026 House | Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Health] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
Actions
- Jun 26, 2026 · Senate
In committee: Set, final hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. - Jun 22, 2026 · Senate
In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. - Jun 12, 2026 · Senate
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. - Jun 3, 2026 · Senate
Referred to Coms. on P., D.T., & C.P. and HEALTH. - May 21, 2026 · Senate
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. - May 21, 2026 · House
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 5214.) - May 18, 2026 · House
Read second time. Ordered to third reading. - May 14, 2026 · House
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (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. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. - Apr 16, 2026 · House
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 16). Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH. - 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. - Apr 13, 2026 · House
(Pending re-refer to Com. on HEALTH) - Apr 13, 2026 · House
Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Page 4580.) - Mar 9, 2026 · House
Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and HEALTH. - Feb 14, 2026 · House
From printer. May be heard in committee March 16. - Feb 13, 2026 · House
Read first time. To print.