California · Assembly Bill · 2025–2026 Regular Session
AB2023
California AB 2023 — Companion Chatbots: Children's Safety

Status ● Engrossed Effective N/A Passage Likelihood H

How Is This Bill Enforced

Enforcement Authority
Private right of action. A person who suffers injury in fact as a result of a violation of Chapter 22.7 of the Business and Professions Code may bring a civil action. No designated agency enforcer for compliance under this chapter.
Private Right of Action
Private right of action.
Penalties
Greater of actual damages or $1,500 per violation. Plaintiff may also recover injunctive relief and reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

What This Bill Requires

Verbatim statutory text on the left; plain-language analysis and a per-section checklist on the right. Numbered markers cross-link to the matching checklist row.

Statutory Text
Analysis & Obligations
Bus. & Prof. Code § 22605
Private right of action — damages increase

A person who suffers injury in fact as a result of a violation of this chapter may bring a civil action to recover all of the following relief:

(a) Injunctive relief.

(b) Damages in an amount equal to the greater of actual damages or one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) per violation.

(c) Reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

Section 1 of the bill amends Business and Professions Code § 22605 to increase the statutory damages floor from $1,000 to $1,500 per violation. The remainder of the remedies provision — injunctive relief, actual damages, and reasonable attorney's fees and costs — is unchanged. The private right of action continues to require injury in fact as a standing prerequisite.

This is the bill's only operative provision. It does not alter the substantive obligations imposed on operators of companion chatbot platforms by the rest of the chapter (§§ 22601–22604); it raises the minimum monetary exposure for violations of those existing obligations.

Passage Likelihood

High
Status Engrossed
Chamber Passed origin
Committee Passed
Majority party Yes
Bipartisan No
Prior session None

Legislative History

2026-02-17 Read first time. To print.
2026-02-18 From printer. May be heard in committee March 20.
2026-03-19 Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD.
2026-03-19 From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2026-03-23 Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2026-03-25 From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2026-03-26 Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2026-04-13 In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
2026-04-13 From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2026-04-14 Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2026-04-23 From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 2.) (April 21).
2026-04-27 Read second time and amended.
2026-04-28 Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-05-13 In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2026-05-14 Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended.
2026-05-14 From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 3.) (May 14).
2026-05-18 Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-05-26 Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.
2026-05-26 Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 66. Noes 8.)
2026-05-27 In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

Entry Last Reviewed

2026-06-01
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