California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 947, the 'No Robo Bosses Act,' which bars employers from letting automated decision systems alone fire or discipline workers. The law requires human verification of any AI-driven personnel decision and mandates employers disclose the data and reasoning behind it, including evaluations, work product and peer reviews. If a human reviewer finds the AI's output inaccurate or misleading, employers cannot act on it.
zdnet.com
· 2026-10-08
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation barring employers from using AI to infer workers' emotional states via biometric data, requiring written notice when AI causes mass layoffs, and banning AI-only firing decisions. The state will also expand tracking of AI's economic effects through an AI Unemployment Tracker and public input via Engaged California. Separately, Newsom's earlier executive orders direct the state to explore requiring a 'kill switch' for advanced AI models, an idea backed by Rep. Ted Lieu but criticized by the Free Software Foundation's Greg Farough as a dangerous precedent.
news.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-03
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 1246, creating local penalties for autonomous vehicle companies whose cars block ambulances, fire trucks or other first responders for more than 30 minutes during emergencies. The law also requires operators to designate on-site 'local incident technicians' to assist with crashes or obstructions, and mandates that any remote human drivers assisting vehicles hold US driver's licenses and be based in the United States.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-03
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Plug and Play Solar Act (SB 868), sponsored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, allowing renters and homeowners to use plug-in solar systems without a full interconnection agreement. The law caps output at 1,200 watts per home, requires registration and third-party safety certification, and mandates that systems not feed power back to the grid during outages.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-02
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation requiring 3D printer makers to build in firearm-blocking technology once ASTM International finalizes an industry standard for such detection. The law only applies to printers sold after a standard exists, leaving current devices unaffected, and California becomes the second state after New York to pass such a rule, with Colorado and Washington considering similar bills. The California DOJ must check quarterly for a published standard from mid-2027 through mid-2029, after which it is no longer obligated to keep checking.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-02
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Plug and Play Solar Act, making California the tenth US state to legalize plug-in balcony solar systems. The law caps installations at 1,200 watts, requires UL3700 certification, and allows free, immediate approval without the utility registration process required for rooftop solar. It takes effect January 1, 2027.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-02
California Governor Gavin Newsom rejected Senate Bill 1130, which would have regulated secret recording via wearable devices like smart glasses, citing overly broad definitions and redundancy with existing law. The bill, authored by state senator Eloise Gómez Reyes, would have made California the first state to specifically regulate smart glasses, imposing fines or prison time on violators and noncompliant manufacturers.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-01
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation that would have required smart glasses and other wearable devices to include a light or sound signaling active recording starting in 2028. The bill also would have penalized secret recording in private spaces like changing rooms and doctor's offices, and banned tools designed to hide recording indicators. Newsom said the bill's definition of a wearable recording device was too broad, noting existing state law already bars nonconsensual recording in private spaces.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-01
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a set of bills regulating artificial intelligence in the workplace, covering AI-driven layoff decisions, employee surveillance tools, deepfakes, and medical AI systems. The signings occurred on Wednesday as part of a broader state effort to set rules around AI use.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-10-01
Gavin Newsom vetoed SB-1130, a bill that would have made it a misdemeanor to secretly record people with smart glasses in places like changing rooms and doctors' offices. The bill also would have required recording indicators on wearables and banned tools designed to hide them. Newsom said the bill's definition of 'wearable recording device' was too broad and could unintentionally cover common smartwatches.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-01
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills barring employers from basing termination or disciplinary decisions solely on AI, and requiring disclosure when AI triggers mass layoffs or relocations. The laws also ban surveillance tools in workplace bathrooms and prevent lawyers from fully outsourcing core legal work to AI systems. Newsom additionally signed an order mandating state agencies use the term 'artificial intelligence' rather than 'super intelligence.'
engadget.com
· 2026-10-01
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 947, the 'No Robo Bosses Act,' which bars California employers from relying solely on automated systems to fire or discipline workers. Companies that primarily use AI for such decisions must have a human reviewer confirm them using other evidence like managerial evaluations, and must notify affected employees in writing, disclose what data was used, and give them a human contact to explain the decision.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-30
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