Bill Commons

CA AB 1651

enacted

State Bar of California: artificial intelligence.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 1651 pass?

Yes. CA AB 1651 has been enacted into law as of 2026-08-22. Latest recorded action (2026-08-22): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 116, Statutes of 2026.

What is CA AB 1651 about?

Existing law, the State Bar Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California (State Bar) , a public corporation governed by a board of trustees. Existing law authorizes the State Bar to establish an examining committee, also known as the Committee of Bar Examiners, with powers that include examining applicants for admission to practice law. Existing law requires an applicant for admission and licensure to practice law to meet specified requirements, including passing a general bar examination given by the examining committee, and authorizes certain experienced attorneys to take an attorneys' examination instead. Existing law requires specified applicants to take a first-year law students' examination administered by the examining committee. Existing law defines "artificial intelligence" as, among other things, a machine-based system that varies in its level of autonomy and that can generate outputs, which can influence physical or virtual environments. This bill would require the State Bar to disclose, on its internet website, the use of artificial intelligence-generated content, as defined, in developing or administering the State Bar examinations described above. The bill would require the State Bar to disclose, on the cover page of study materials, the use of artificial intelligence-generated content in examination study material it, among other things, publishes or endorses. The bill would only require these disclosures for content developed by or at the explicit direction of the State Bar. The bill would apply these disclosure requirements regardless of whether the artificial intelligence-generated content is revised or reviewed by a natural person. The bill would become operative on January 1, 2028.

Who sponsors CA AB 1651?

Dixon is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1651.

Description

Existing law, the State Bar Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California (State Bar) , a public corporation governed by a board of trustees. Existing law authorizes the State Bar to establish an examining committee, also known as the Committee of Bar Examiners, with powers that include examining applicants for admission to practice law. Existing law requires an applicant for admission and licensure to practice law to meet specified requirements, including passing a general bar examination given by the examining committee, and authorizes certain experienced attorneys to take an attorneys' examination instead. Existing law requires specified applicants to take a first-year law students' examination administered by the examining committee. Existing law defines "artificial intelligence" as, among other things, a machine-based system that varies in its level of autonomy and that can generate outputs, which can influence physical or virtual environments. This bill would require the State Bar to disclose, on its internet website, the use of artificial intelligence-generated content, as defined, in developing or administering the State Bar examinations described above. The bill would require the State Bar to disclose, on the cover page of study materials, the use of artificial intelligence-generated content in examination study material it, among other things, publishes or endorses. The bill would only require these disclosures for content developed by or at the explicit direction of the State Bar. The bill would apply these disclosure requirements regardless of whether the artificial intelligence-generated content is revised or reviewed by a natural person. The bill would become operative on January 1, 2028.

Introduced
2026-03-26
Latest action
2026-08-22 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 116, Statutes of 2026.
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Dixonauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2026-01-28

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2026-01-29

    From printer. May be heard in committee February 28.

  3. 2026-02-17

    Referred to Coms. on JUD. and P. & C.P.

    referral-committee

  4. 2026-03-10

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (March 10). Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  5. 2026-03-26

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  6. 2026-04-06

    Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

    referral-committee

  7. 2026-04-08

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 7).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  8. 2026-04-09

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

    reading-1,reading-2

  9. 2026-04-16

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 68. Noes 0. Page 4681.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  10. 2026-04-16

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1,referral-committee

  11. 2026-05-06

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  12. 2026-06-17

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 16).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage

  13. 2026-06-18

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to consent calendar.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  14. 2026-06-25

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 36. Noes 0.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  15. 2026-06-25

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 5014.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  16. 2026-06-25

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  17. 2026-08-03

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 6031.).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  18. 2026-08-10

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 1 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  19. 2026-08-22

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  20. 2026-08-22

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 116, Statutes of 2026.

    became-law

Versions

  • 01/28/26 - Introduced — 2026-01-28Compare
  • 03/26/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-03-26Compare
  • 06/18/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-06-18Compare
  • 08/05/26 - Enrolled — 2026-08-05Compare
  • 08/22/26 - Chaptered — 2026-08-22Compare
  • AB1651Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Privacy and Consumer Protection] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2026-03-10 · pass · 12-0

    Member-level votes (12)
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Stefani: yes
  • Do pass. To Consent Calendar.

    2026-04-07 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Macedo: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Hart: yes
  • AB 1651 Dixon Consent Calendar Second Day

    2026-04-16 · pass · 68-0

    Member-level votes (80)
    • Patel: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Johnson: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Flora: other
    • Berman: other
    • Hart: other
    • Papan: other
    • Arambula: other
    • Dixon: other
    • Bonta: other
    • Schiavo: other
    • Celeste Rodriguez: other
    • Irwin: other
    • Hoover: other
    • Harabedian: other
  • Do pass as amended, and be ordered to the Consent Calendar

    2026-06-16 · pass · 11-0

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Wahab: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Ashby: other
    • Weber Pierson: other
  • Consent Calendar 2nd

    2026-06-25 · pass · 36-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Dahle: other
    • Reyes: other
    • Jones: other
    • Alvarado-Gil: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-08-23T21:18:55.794232Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

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