California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
California SB 771
Personal rights: liability: social media platforms.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Vetoed
Sponsors
- Stern (Democratic)
Cosponsors (8)
- Bryan (Democratic)
- Harabedian (Democratic)
- Kalra (Democratic)
- Lowenthal (Democratic)
- Ortega (Democratic)
- Pellerin (Democratic)
- Stefani (Democratic)
- Zbur (Democratic)
Summary
Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary
Existing law generally regulates social media platforms, including by requiring a social media company to post terms of service for each social media platform owned or operated by the company in a manner reasonably designed to inform all users of the social media platform of the existence and contents of the terms of service, as prescribed.
Existing law generally prohibits a person from using violence or intimidation to interfere with another person's enjoyment of certain rights or because of certain attributes of that person, including the person's political affiliation, race, or sexual orientation, and punishes violations of that law with certain civil penalties or as misdemeanors, as prescribed.
This bill would make a social media platform, as defined, that violates the above-referenced provisions of law relating to personal rights through its algorithms that relay content to users or aids, abets, acts in concert, or conspires in violation of those laws, or is a joint tortfeasor in an action alleging a violation of those laws, liable for specified civil penalties. The bill would declare its provisions to be severable and would declare attempted waiver of its provisions to be void and unenforceable.
This bill would become operative on January 1, 2027.
Text versions
- 09/16/25 - Enrolled· Sep 16, 2025
- 09/02/25 - Amended Assembly· Sep 2, 2025
- 07/10/25 - Amended Assembly· Jul 10, 2025
- 06/19/25 - Amended Assembly· Jun 19, 2025
- 05/23/25 - Amended Senate· May 23, 2025
- 03/24/25 - Amended Senate· Mar 24, 2025
- 02/21/25 - Introduced· Feb 21, 2025
- SB771
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 16, 2026, 4:04 AM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2025 House | SB 771 Stern Senate Third Reading By Bauer-Kahan | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Sep 11, 2025 Senate | Unfinished Business SB771 Stern et al. Concurrence | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Aug 29, 2025 House | Do pass as amended. | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Jul 8, 2025 House | Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Jun 24, 2025 House | Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Jun 4, 2025 Senate | 3rd Reading | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| May 23, 2025 Senate | Do pass as amended | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| May 12, 2025 Senate | Placed on suspense file | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Apr 29, 2025 Senate | Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
Actions
- Mar 2, 2026 · Senate
Veto sustained. - Mar 2, 2026 · Senate
Stricken from file. - Oct 13, 2025 · Senate
In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending. - Oct 13, 2025 · Senate
Vetoed by the Governor. - Sep 22, 2025 · Legislature
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m. - Sep 11, 2025 · Senate
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 8. Page 2919.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. - Sep 11, 2025 · Senate
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending. - Sep 10, 2025 · House
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 51. Noes 2. Page 3238.) Ordered to the Senate. - Sep 3, 2025 · House
Read second time. Ordered to third reading. - Sep 2, 2025 · House
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. - Aug 29, 2025 · House
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (August 29). - Aug 20, 2025 · House
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file. - Jul 10, 2025 · House
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR. - Jul 9, 2025 · House
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (July 8). - Jun 25, 2025 · House
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on JUD. - Jun 25, 2025 · House
Coauthors revised. - Jun 19, 2025 · House
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P. - Jun 16, 2025 · House
Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD. - Jun 5, 2025 · House
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. - Jun 4, 2025 · Senate
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 4. Page 1519.) Ordered to the Assembly. - May 27, 2025 · Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading. - May 23, 2025 · Senate
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. - May 23, 2025 · Senate
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 4. Noes 0. Page 1212.) (May 23). - May 16, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing May 23. - May 12, 2025 · Senate
May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file. - May 2, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing May 12. - Apr 30, 2025 · Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 943.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. - Apr 22, 2025 · Senate
Set for hearing April 29. - Apr 2, 2025 · Senate
Re-referred to Com. on JUD. - Mar 25, 2025 · Senate
Re-referred to Com. on RLS. - Mar 25, 2025 · Senate
Withdrawn from committee. - Mar 24, 2025 · Senate
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED. - Mar 12, 2025 · Senate
Referred to Com. on ED. - Feb 24, 2025 · Senate
Read first time. - Feb 24, 2025 · Senate
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24. - Feb 21, 2025 · Senate
Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.