2024 CA Legislative Recap
California Capitol
SB 892 (Veto; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB892
This bill mandates the Department of Technology to establish regulations for an automated decision system (ADS) procurement standard, considering AI risk management principles and industry standards. The standard must include a detailed risk assessment, appropriate risk controls, and adverse incident monitoring. The department is required to collaborate with specified organizations and regularly update the regulations. Starting January 1, 2027, state agencies cannot procure or contract ADS services until the regulations are in place, and contracts must include a completed risk assessment, risk controls, and incident monitoring procedures.
SB 896 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB896
The Generative Artificial Intelligence Accountability Act requires the Department of Technology, guided by several agencies, to update the Governor's report as mandated by Executive Order N-12-23. It also directs the Office of Emergency Services to perform a risk analysis of threats posed by generative AI to California’s critical infrastructure and provide an annual summary to the Legislature. Additionally, any state agency using generative AI to communicate with individuals about government services must include a disclaimer and provide contact information for a human representative.
SB 942 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB942
The California AI Transparency Act requires covered providers to offer a free AI detection tool and give users the option to include a manifest disclosure in AI-generated content that identifies it as such. Providers must also include a latent disclosure with provenance information in AI-generated content, when technically feasible. If a third-party modifies a licensed GenAI system to remove these disclosures, the provider must revoke the license within 96 hours. Violations can result in a $5,000 civil penalty, with enforcement by the Attorney General or local officials. These provisions take effect on January 1, 2026.
SB 1025 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1025
This bill expands the pretrial diversion program to include certain felony offenses for U.S. Armed Forces members whose condition was a significant factor in the offense, unless clear evidence shows otherwise. It requires counties to coordinate services for these veterans and prohibits defendants with prior DUI-related convictions from entering the program. Prosecutors may seek a court order to restrict firearm possession for veteran defendants in diversion if they pose a danger.
SB 1174 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1174
This bill would prevent local governments from enacting or enforcing any rule that requires individuals to present identification when voting or submitting a ballot at polling places, vote centers, or other locations where ballots are cast.
SB 1287 (Signed; Secure Justice opposed)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1287
This bill assigns the California State University Trustees and University of California Regents the primary responsibility for preventing and addressing hostile environments and discriminatory conduct on campus. It requires the trustees to adopt rules prohibiting violent, harassing, or discriminatory behavior, establish content-neutral restrictions for protests, and provide mandatory training for students on these issues. The trustees must also submit annual reports to the Legislature starting January 2, 2025. The University of California is requested to follow these provisions as well.
SB 1331 (Suspended; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1331
This bill would establish the Fund for Reparations and Reparative Justice in the State Treasury to support policies addressing harm caused by California to descendants of African American enslaved persons or free Black people living in the U.S. before the 20th century. The fund may receive money from federal, state, local, or private sources.
SB 1340 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1340
The Unruh Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination by businesses, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) bans discrimination in housing and employment. This bill clarifies that local governments can enforce their own anti-discrimination laws in employment if those laws are at least as protective as FEHA. It also requires the Civil Rights Department to create regulations for local enforcement of these laws.
SB 1353 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1353
Existing law grants confined youth the right to adequate and timely mental health services under the Youth Bill of Rights. This bill adds the right to receive adequate and timely behavioral health services as well.
AB 544 (Veto; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB544
This bill, until January 1, 2030, requires the Secretary of State to run a pilot program providing grants to San Benito, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties to improve voter participation in jail facilities. The program will facilitate in-person voting for eligible incarcerated individuals and ensure access to registration, voting, and replacement ballots. Each jail must have a designated voting coordinator responsible for compliance, voter education, and information. The Secretary of State will provide training for voting coordinators, and local officials must evaluate and report on the program's outcomes.
AB 1810 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1810
Existing law requires incarcerated individuals who menstruate to request access to menstrual hygiene products. This bill would mandate that these individuals have ready access to menstrual products without needing to request them, imposing additional duties on local detention facilities.
AB 1814 (Died in committee; Secure Justice opposed - nice concept, poorly written bill)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1814
This bill prohibits law enforcement from using a facial recognition technology (FRT) match as the sole basis for probable cause in arrests or searches and bars judges from issuing warrants based solely on FRT matches. It allows courts to award up to $25,000 in damages and reasonable attorney’s fees to individuals impacted by violations.
AB 1877 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1877
This bill requires county probation officers to petition the court to seal certain records once a person turns 18 and the juvenile court’s jurisdiction ends, unless the person has been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. If the petition isn't filed, the probation officer must notify the individual and their counsel. The bill outlines methods for accessing sealed records and requires the destruction of sealed juvenile records unless the court finds good cause to retain them. It also mandates the Department of Justice to identify and seal arrest records for individuals under 18 that did not result in charges, and to publish annual statistics on these arrests starting July 1, 2028.
AB 1955 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1955
This bill requires the State Department of Education to develop or update resources to support LGBTQ students and their families. It prohibits schools and their governing bodies from enforcing policies that require employees or contractors to disclose a pupil's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression without the pupil's consent, unless required by law. It also protects employees from retaliation for supporting students' rights or providing certain instruction.
AB 1971 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1971
This bill prohibits national assessment providers from selling personal information obtained for administering or distributing scores of standardized tests, except as specified. It defines a "standardized test" as one administered in California at the test subject's expense, excluding K–12 school tests. The bill aligns with existing laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act and the Student Online Personal Information Protection Act, which regulate the use and sharing of personal information.
AB 1986 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1986
This bill would require the Office of the Inspector General to post the Centralized List of Disapproved Publications maintained by the department on the office’s internet website and would require the department to notify the office each time a change is made to that list. The bill would authorize the office, upon request, to review publications on the list to determine if it concurs with the department’s determination that the publication violates department regulations. The bill would require the office to notify the department if it does not concur with the department’s determination. The bill would also require the office to include information relating to those notifications in an annual report the Inspector General provides to the Governor and Legislature.
AB 2013 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2013
This bill requires developers of generative artificial intelligence systems or services, released after January 1, 2022, to post documentation on their website by January 1, 2026, and before each release thereafter. The documentation must include a high-level summary of the datasets used to train the system or service, among other details, regardless of whether the service is paid or free.
AB 2040 (Suspended; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2040
This bill creates the position of California Reentry Officer, independent from the CDCR, to lead and coordinate statewide efforts for successful reentry services for incarcerated individuals. The officer will focus on programs during incarceration, smooth transitions to release, and continuity of care for those with health and substance use disorders. Appointed by the Governor for a 4-year term, the officer must submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature starting December 1, 2027.
AB 2127 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2127
This bill extends the operation of the California New Motor Voter Program taskforce, which advises on voter registration through the DMV, until January 1, 2030.
AB 2930 (Suspended; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2930
This bill requires deployers and developers of automated decision systems to perform impact assessments before deployment and annually, detailing the system's purpose, benefits, and uses. They must provide these assessments to the Civil Rights Department, which will be exempt from public records requests. Deployers must notify individuals when an automated system is used in consequential decisions and allow them to correct incorrect data or opt for an alternative process if feasible. The bill prohibits using or providing systems that pose a risk of algorithmic discrimination until mitigated. The Civil Rights Department can bring civil actions for violations, with penalties up to $25,000 for cases involving algorithmic discrimination.
AB 3021 (Suspended; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB3021
This bill requires peace officers, prosecuting attorneys, or investigators to clearly identify themselves and show identification before interviewing a family member of someone killed or seriously injured by a peace officer. They must inform the family member of their right to ask about their loved one’s status, remain silent, consult a trusted person before speaking, and have that person present during the interview.
AB 3088 (Suspended; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB3088
This bill prohibits the dismissal of a habeas corpus petition on procedural grounds if the petitioner shows that, considering all current evidence, it is more likely than not that the case outcome would have been different.
AB 3089 (Signed; Secure Justice supported)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB3089
This bill acknowledges California's responsibility for the harms of chattel slavery and its lasting effects, apologizing for the discrimination faced by African Americans. It mandates a public plaque in the State Capitol memorializing this apology and tasks the Department of General Services and the Joint Rules Committee with its installation and maintenance. The bill allows for funding through grants and donations. It also requires the Legislature to draft a formal apology, signed by state leaders, and for the Secretary of State to preserve it in the State Archives for public viewing.
AB 3138 (Signed; Secure Justice opposed)
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB3138
This bill, starting January 1, 2027, allows any vehicle to use an alternative device for license plates or registration cards that includes vehicle location technology, with specified rules on enabling and disabling this feature. It prohibits the device from recording or transmitting personal information and requires the DMV to delete unauthorized data. The bill also expands the types of specialized license plates that can be replicated on these devices.