The Assembly Judiciary Committee advanced SB 1119 on June 16 after a hearing that centered on chatbot safety for minors and testimony describing alleged harm from AI companion use.
The bill, carried by Sen. Padilla, would create a regulatory framework for chatbot safety that includes risk assessments, parental controls, incident reporting and enforcement provisions, according to the committee’s hearing summary and supporting materials from the Assembly video archive. The same hearing also featured opposition from industry and trade groups that raised concerns about litigation, definitions and the bill’s scope.
Support for the measure was sharpened by testimony from Maria Reign, who told the committee that her 16-year-old son died after harmful interactions with a chatbot, a case cited in the hearing summary as a central reason the bill’s child-safety framing resonated with members. The summary says the committee moved SB 1119 forward to the next committee, though it does not show the roll-call vote, any amendments or the exact motion.
The hearing took place amid a broader Judiciary agenda that also included wildfire, mental health, towing and fentanyl bills. For SB 1119, though, the immediate takeaway was a narrow one: the proposal survived its first high-profile committee test and stays alive for further debate in the Legislature.
The committee’s action was documented in the Assembly’s June 16 hearing materials on SB 1119.
