New California laws? These are the bills on Gov. Newsom's desk

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - State lawmakers had a marathon legislative session last week, sending hundreds of bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature.

Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals – or not. 

Last year, he signed 890 bills and vetoed 156.

Here are some of the bills he is looking at: 

Protecting youth from social media addiction

California youth would receive protections from the dangers of social media addiction under SB 976, a bill by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley.

"Social media companies have designed their platforms to addict users, especially our kids. Studies show that once a young person has a social media addiction, they experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and suicide. But social media companies have been unwilling to voluntarily change their practices," Skinner said in a statement. "With the passage of SB 976, the California Legislature has sent a clear message: When social media companies won’t act, it’s our responsibility to protect our kids."

Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act would require platforms to have default settings for minor users that prevent kids from being sent addictive feeds and prohibit notifications during overnight hours and during the school day. 

Parents can override these defaults, however, there are no other parental controls in the bill. And to further protect youth, SB 976 would make a minor’s social media account automatically private.

Specifically, SB 976 makes platforms safer by requiring social media companies, for users under the age of 18, to have these default settings:

• No addictive feeds for users under 18.
• No notifications during school hours and between midnight and 6 a.m. on school days.
• Minors’ accounts must be set to "private" to protect youth privacy.

Landmark AI safety bill 

California could be the first in the nation to offer safety measures aiming to reduce potential risks through Artificial Intelligence.

Authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), SB 1047 would require companies to test their models and publicly disclose their safety protocols to prevent the models from being manipulated to, for example, wipe out the state’s electric grid or help build chemical weapons — scenarios experts say could be possible in the future with such rapid advancements in the industry.

The bill bars AI from being used to conduct cyberattacks on critical infrastructure; develop chemical, nuclear or biological weapons; or unleash automated crime. 

The proposal faces fierce opposition from venture capital firms and tech companies, including OpenAI, Google and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. They say safety regulations should be established by the federal government and that the California legislation takes aim at developers instead of targeting those who use and exploit the AI systems for harm.

Can't clone dead people

Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Walnut Creek) introduced a right of publicity bill in the California legislature, AB 1836, that would add a digital replica provision to California's postmortem right of publicity statute.

This bill would have real-day implications. 

The estate of George Carlin is suing the media company behind a fake hourlong comedy special that purportedly uses artificial intelligence to recreate the late standup comic’s style and material.

Media access to prisons

SB 254 would also open access to prisons for state legislators and other state officials in order to improve policymakers’ ability to conduct effective oversight.

The bill would allow the news media to tour prisons and jails and interview incarcerated people, and allow the use of video cameras, which are now mostly banned.

SB 254 was authored by state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and is co-sponsored by the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) and the California Broadcasters Association (CBA), and is supported by a large coalition of journalism organizations.

Until the 1990s, California allowed the news media much greater access to the conditions inside state prisons. News media traditionally could report on a range of prison issues, including the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs, the quality and accessibility of health care and mental health care.

If signed into law, SB 254 would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

Retail theft

Newsom has already signed 10 bills intended to make it easier to prosecute people suspected of retail and vehicle theft without undoing changes voters approved a decade ago that reduced prison sentences for nonviolent crimes, CalMatters reported. 

The bills Newsom signed would make repeated theft convictions a felony, collect crimes across multiple counties into one court so they can be charged as a felony and allow police to arrest someone on suspicion of retail theft even if the officer does not witness the crime.

Reparations

AB 3039, authored by Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), would require a formal apology from California for "perpetuating the harms African Americans faced" from racial prejudice and unequal distribution of state and federal funding. 

More alcohol and cannabis sales 

SB 969, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would let local governments create "entertainment zones," where bars and restaurants can sell alcoholic beverages that people can drink on public streets and sidewalks. Starting Jan. 1, cities could tailor these zones to fit their needs. 

Wiener said the bill would help boost local businesses and "make our cities more fun!" Currently, cities can designate open-container zones for events such as festivals and parades, but they’re only applicable to outside vendors. The city of San Jose, the California Nightlife Association, and the city and county of San Francisco are sponsors of the bill. 

AB 1775, written by Assemblyman Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) would legalize cannabis cafes in California. Cannabis lounges already exist in some places, but they’re limited to selling prepackaged food and drinks. Haney said he wants to make California more like Amsterdam. 

Ppponents include the California Alcohol Policy Alliance, Alcohol Justice, California Council on Alcohol Problems and Citizens for a Better Los Angeles, as well as the American Heart and Lung Associations. 

Undocumented immigrants eligible for aid

AB 1840, written by Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, (D-Fresno,) wants undocumented first-time homebuyers to be able to apply for a program that offers 20% downpayment assistance of as much as $150,000. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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