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California enacts SB 1119 requiring child-safety risk assessments for companion chatbots

Rule changeInformationHealthUS-CAReported

SB 1119 (Chapter 190, Statutes of 2026) requires companion-chatbot operators, from 1 July 2027, to document a child-safety risk assessment before releasing a new or substantially modified chatbot, provide child protections and submit to independent child-safety audits. The Attorney General can request audit reports for cause, and public prosecutors as well as harmed children and their parents can sue; it replaces SB 243's minor-specific provisions.

Why it matters

Chatbot makers serving Californian minors move from disclosure duties to pre-release risk assessment and audit obligations backed by private lawsuits.

SourceCalifornia Legislative InformationCoverage: CalMatters Digital Democracy Based on credible reporting; we could not open the primary document. Independently fact-checked on 7 Oct 2026.
California Legislature

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