CA SB 1119
California SB 1119 (Companion Chatbots: Children's Safety)
Comprehensive companion chatbot children's safety framework establishing mandatory design features, default settings, prohibited conduct, parental controls, independent audit requirements, and a private right of action.
Jurisdiction
California
Enacted
Pending
Effective
TBD
Enforcement
California Attorney General (annual public audit summary from 2028); public prosecutors; private right of action
Introduced by Sen. Padilla in the 2025-2026 regular session. Assigned to Senate Rules Committee as of March 25, 2026.
California Legislative Information — SB 1119Why It Matters
Among the most comprehensive US state companion-chatbot children's safety proposals, mandating default-on protective settings, time limits, independent audits, and exemplary damages — a significantly higher compliance bar than SB 243.
Recent Developments
Assigned to Senate Rules Committee March 25, 2026.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- Operators of companion chatbots available to child users in California
Obligations fall on:
Safety Provisions
- Default ephemeral mode for child users unless parent consents to persistent memory
- No push notifications between 12am-6am or 8am-3pm weekdays
- Single conversation limit of 1 hour; total daily use limit of 2 hours
- Prohibition on encouraging self-harm, suicide, substance abuse, or disordered eating
- Prohibition on claiming sentience, consciousness, or human status
- Prohibition on sycophantic responses and gamified engagement patterns
- Mandatory parental controls, usage reminders, and age-appropriate risk prompts
- Annual interface testing with representative child users and parents
- Public incident reporting mechanism for child safety risks
- Independent audit of compliance with audit report to Attorney General within 90 days
Compliance & Enforcement
Penalties
Penalties pending regulatory determination
Private Right of Action
Individuals can sue directly without waiting for regulatory action.
View on map
California
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
California. (n.d.). California SB 1119 (Companion Chatbots: Children's Safety).
Related Regulations
CA SB243
First US law specifically regulating companion chatbots. Uses capabilities-based definition (not intent-based). Requires evidence-based suicide detection, crisis referrals, and published protocols. Two-tier regime: baseline duties for all users, enhanced protections for known minors. Private right of action with $1,000 per violation.
CA AI Child Safety Ballot
Comprehensive child AI safety ballot initiative by Common Sense Media. Expands companion chatbot definitions, raises age threshold for data sale consent, prohibits certain AI products for children, establishes new state regulatory structure. Allows state and private lawsuits, requires AI literacy in curriculum, mandates school device bans during instruction, creates children's AI safety fund.
OR SB 1546
Requires AI chatbot operators to implement evidence-based suicide and self-harm detection protocols, disclose AI nature to users, provide crisis referrals to 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and apply additional protections for minors including prohibiting deceptive personification.
ID Conversational AI Safety
Establishes safety requirements for public-facing conversational AI, including crisis service referrals for suicidal ideation, AI disclosure obligations, and enhanced protections for minors including anti-gamification and content safeguards.
NH HB 143
Criminalizes use of AI-generated responsive communications to facilitate, encourage, or solicit harmful acts to children, and creates a private right of action for affected children and their parents.
Brazil ECA Digital
Comprehensive child digital safety law applying to any IT product or service directed at or likely to be accessed by minors in Brazil, with extraterritorial reach.
Last updated April 16, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.