Bill Commons

CA AB 621

enacted

Deepfake pornography.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower

Quick answers

Did CA AB 621 pass?

Yes. CA AB 621 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-13. Latest recorded action (2025-10-13): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 673, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA AB 621 about?

Existing law grants to a depicted individual a cause of action against a person who creates and intentionally discloses sexually explicit material if the person knows, or reasonably should have known, that the depicted individual in that material did not consent to its creation or disclosure or who intentionally discloses sexually explicit material that the person did not create if the person knows the depicted individual in that material did not consent to the creation of the sexually explicit material. Existing law defines "sexually explicit material" for purposes of that provision to mean any portion of an audiovisual work that shows the depicted individual performing in the nude or appearing to engage in, or being subjected to, sexual conduct and defines "depicted individual" to mean an individual who appears, as a result of digitization, to be giving a performance the individual did not actually perform or to be performing in an altered depiction. Existing law authorizes a plaintiff to recover, among other relief, statutory damages of not less than $1,500 but not more than $30,000, or $150,000 for a malicious violation, as prescribed. This bill would revise and recast the provision described above to additionally grant to a depicted individual a cause of action against a person who knows, or reasonably should know, that the depicted individual was a minor when the digitized sexually explicit material was created and would additionally grant a cause of action to that depicted individual against a person who knowingly facilitates or recklessly aids or abets conduct prohibited by that provision. The bill would define "digitized sexually explicit material" to mean any portion of a visual or audiovisual work created or substantially altered through digitization, including an image, that shows the depicted individual in the nude or appearing to engage in, or being subjected to, sexual conduct. This bill would make a person that provides a service that enables the ongoing operation of a deepfake pornography service presumed to be engaged in knowing facilitation or reckless aiding or abetting, as described above, if a depicted individual or public prosecutor provides the person with evidence sufficient to demonstrate that the person is providing services that enable the ongoing operation of a deepfake pornography service that engages in conduct described in the provisions described above, and the person fails to take all necessary steps to stop providing services that enable the ongoing operation of a deepfake pornography service within 30 days of receiving that evidence, as specified. This bill would increase the maximum statutory damages available to a depicted individual to $50,000 if the violation was not malicious and $250,000 for a malicious violation and would authorize certain public attorneys to bring a civil action to enforce these provisions, as specified.

Who sponsors CA AB 621?

Bauer-Kahan is the primary sponsor of CA AB 621, joined by 9 cosponsors.

Description

Existing law grants to a depicted individual a cause of action against a person who creates and intentionally discloses sexually explicit material if the person knows, or reasonably should have known, that the depicted individual in that material did not consent to its creation or disclosure or who intentionally discloses sexually explicit material that the person did not create if the person knows the depicted individual in that material did not consent to the creation of the sexually explicit material. Existing law defines "sexually explicit material" for purposes of that provision to mean any portion of an audiovisual work that shows the depicted individual performing in the nude or appearing to engage in, or being subjected to, sexual conduct and defines "depicted individual" to mean an individual who appears, as a result of digitization, to be giving a performance the individual did not actually perform or to be performing in an altered depiction. Existing law authorizes a plaintiff to recover, among other relief, statutory damages of not less than $1,500 but not more than $30,000, or $150,000 for a malicious violation, as prescribed. This bill would revise and recast the provision described above to additionally grant to a depicted individual a cause of action against a person who knows, or reasonably should know, that the depicted individual was a minor when the digitized sexually explicit material was created and would additionally grant a cause of action to that depicted individual against a person who knowingly facilitates or recklessly aids or abets conduct prohibited by that provision. The bill would define "digitized sexually explicit material" to mean any portion of a visual or audiovisual work created or substantially altered through digitization, including an image, that shows the depicted individual in the nude or appearing to engage in, or being subjected to, sexual conduct. This bill would make a person that provides a service that enables the ongoing operation of a deepfake pornography service presumed to be engaged in knowing facilitation or reckless aiding or abetting, as described above, if a depicted individual or public prosecutor provides the person with evidence sufficient to demonstrate that the person is providing services that enable the ongoing operation of a deepfake pornography service that engages in conduct described in the provisions described above, and the person fails to take all necessary steps to stop providing services that enable the ongoing operation of a deepfake pornography service within 30 days of receiving that evidence, as specified. This bill would increase the maximum statutory damages available to a depicted individual to $50,000 if the violation was not malicious and $250,000 for a malicious violation and would authorize certain public attorneys to bring a civil action to enforce these provisions, as specified.

Introduced
2025-03-20
Latest action
2025-10-13 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 673, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Bauer-Kahanauthor
  • Bermanauthor
  • Alaniscoauthor
  • Bryancoauthor
  • Dixoncoauthor
  • Irwincoauthor
  • Lowenthalcoauthor
  • Ortegacoauthor
  • Pellerincoauthor
  • Wickscoauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-13

    Read first time. To print.

    reading-1

  2. 2025-02-14

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.

  3. 2025-03-03

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

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-03-06

    Re-referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

    referral-committee

  5. 2025-03-20

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (March 18).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  6. 2025-03-24

    Read second time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  7. 2025-03-25

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  8. 2025-04-08

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 8).

    amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee

  9. 2025-04-09

    Read second time and amended.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  10. 2025-04-10

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    referral-committee

  11. 2025-04-23

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  12. 2025-05-23

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  13. 2025-05-27

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  14. 2025-06-02

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 1841.)

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  15. 2025-06-03

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

    reading-1,referral-committee

  16. 2025-06-11

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

    referral-committee

  17. 2025-07-03

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

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

  18. 2025-07-16

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

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

  19. 2025-08-18

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

    referral-committee

  20. 2025-08-29

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  21. 2025-08-29

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  22. 2025-09-05

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  23. 2025-09-08

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  24. 2025-09-09

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2656.).

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  25. 2025-09-09

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  26. 2025-09-10

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3225.).

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

  27. 2025-09-22

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  28. 2025-10-13

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  29. 2025-10-13

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 673, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

Versions

  • 02/13/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-13Compare
  • 03/24/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-03-24Compare
  • 04/09/25 - Amended Assembly — 2025-04-09Compare
  • 07/03/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-07-03Compare
  • 09/05/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-09-05Compare
  • 09/12/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-12Compare
  • 10/13/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-13Compare
  • AB621Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]

    2025-03-18 · pass · 15-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Ward: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • McKinnor: yes

  • Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2025-04-08 · pass · 12-0

    Member-level votes (12)
    • Dixon: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Stefani: yes

  • Do pass.

    2025-05-23 · pass · 14-0

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Calderon: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Sanchez: other

  • AB 621 Bauer-Kahan Assembly Third Reading

    2025-06-02 · pass · 78-0

    Member-level votes (79)
    • Rivas: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Bonta: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • DeMaio: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Castillo: yes
    • Sanchez: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Hadwick: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Patterson: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Muratsuchi: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Wallis: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Macedo: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Wilson: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Ellis: yes
    • Aguiar-Curry: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Quirk-Silva: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Hoover: yes
    • Ta: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Flora: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Gallagher: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Dixon: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Alanis: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Jeff Gonzalez: other

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-07-15 · pass · 13-0

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Caballero: yes
    • Niello: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Durazo: yes

  • Placed on suspense file

    2025-08-18 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Grayson: yes

  • Do pass

    2025-08-29 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes

  • 3rd Reading AB621 Bauer-Kahan et al. By Ashby

    2025-09-09 · pass · 40-0

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

  • AB 621 Bauer-Kahan Concurrence in Senate Amendments

    2025-09-11 · pass · 79-0

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

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB621

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

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