CA SB1119: Companion chatbots: children’s safety.

In one paragraph

California's SB 1119, "Adam's Law," sets child-safety rules for companion chatbots. Operators must determine users' ages under the Digital Age Assurance Act or give every user the child protections. From July 1, 2027, operators that allow children must assess risks before releasing new or substantially modified chatbots, publish a child safety policy, and provide crisis protocols, parent-only default settings, parental controls, AI notices and limits on ads and data use. Independent audits follow. Civil penalties reach $15,000 per affected child. Signed September 10, 2026 (Chapter 190); effective January 1, 2027, with most duties operative July 1, 2027.

Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.

What it means for business

Companion chatbot operators must determine ages or protect all users as children. From July 1, 2027, those allowing minors need risk assessments, a child safety policy, parent-only defaults, crisis protocols and ad and data limits; audits start by 2029 ($500M+ revenue).

Key provisions

1. 1New Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 21810-21818 cover operators making a companion chatbot (as defined in SB 243, § 22601) available to users in California; colleges offering one only for educational use and employers offering one only to their workforce are excluded. The act also deletes SB 243's minor-specific duties from § 22602(c) as of January 1, 2027
2. 2Age assurance (§ 21811): determine a user's age under the Digital Age Assurance Act (Civil Code § 1798.500 et seq.), or the Health and Safety Code § 27001 determination if that is not possible, or apply the child protections to all users. From July 1, 2027, operators that bar children must publish how they comply; most other duties apply only to operators that allow child users
3. 3From July 1, 2027, before releasing a new or substantially modified companion chatbot, operators that allow children must perform and document a risk assessment of covered harms to children (physical, financial, severe psychological, privacy and discrimination harms), with methodology, and take and document reasonable mitigation; they must also publish and update a child safety policy
4. 4Required protections: a crisis response protocol with referrals to crisis services and, for a credible and imminent threat of suicide or self-harm, notice to a linked parent or direct access to 988; usage reminders; periodic AI notices; and parent-only defaults that turn off persistent memory (with limited exceptions for users 16 and older) and push notifications and cap use at one hour per session and two hours per day, with parental controls that can block access for children under 16
5. 5Reasonable measures to stop the chatbot from, among other things, encouraging self-harm, suicidal ideation, narcotics or alcohol use or disordered eating, diagnosing or treating health conditions (unless an FDA-regulated device), obscene or sexual abuse material including sexual deepfakes, claiming to be sentient or human, simulating romance, encouraging emotional reliance, soliciting purchases to keep the relationship, or encouraging children to evade parental controls; safety features must be tested with children and parents by January 1, 2028 and every two years
6. 6Ads and data (§ 21813): no cross-context behavioral advertising to children or ads targeted using a child's chat data (age-appropriate contextual ads allowed and labeled), no sale of a child user's personal information, use limited to providing the service, safety and legal compliance, and no dark patterns in safety controls. If an operator has sent a crisis notice to a parent, or knows from a child's chats that the child died or seriously self-harmed, it must (if no parent was yet notified) notify a parent if practicable, keep conversation records showing self-harm risk at least three years, and not delete the account while they are preserved
7. 7Independent child safety audits by January 1, 2029 (or before first release, if later) and every two years, with a summary to the Attorney General within 30 business days and a public summary within 90 days; operators with less than $500,000,000 in prior-year gross revenue are exempt until January 1, 2032. The Attorney General sets up a public complaint mechanism by January 1, 2028
8. 8Public prosecutors (§ 17204) may seek up to $5,000 per affected child for each negligent violation and $15,000 for each intentional one; a child harmed by a violation of § 21812(d)(1)-(5), or a parent or guardian, may sue for actual damages, fees and injunctive relief (financial harm must exceed $1,000 per child; emotional harm must be serious emotional distress); no private UCL claim. Signed September 10, 2026 (Chapter 190, Statutes of 2026); effective January 1, 2027, with §§ 21812, 21812.5 and 21813 operative July 1, 2027

Latest legislative action

Sep 10, 2026. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 190, Statutes of 2026.

Sponsors

Roll call votes (showing 3 of 5)

Related and companion bills

• California AB2023Companion chatbots: children’s safety.