What AB 1018 does
An act to add Chapter 24.6 (commencing with Section 22756) to Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code, to add Section 51.1.1 to the Civil Code, and to add Article 3 (commencing with Section 12959) to Chapter 6 of Part 2.8 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to artificial intelligence.
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act establishes the Civil Rights Department within the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency and requires the department to, among other things, bring civil actions to enforce the act.
Existing law requires, on or before September 1, 2024, the Department of Technology to conduct, in coordination with other interagency bodies as it deems appropriate, a comprehensive inventory of all high-risk automated decision systems that have been proposed for use, development, or procurement by, or are being used, developed, or procured by, any state agency.
This bill would generally regulate the development and deployment of an automated decision system (ADS) used to make consequential decisions, as defined. The bill would define “automated decision system” to mean a computational process derived from machine learning, statistical modeling, data analytics, or artificial intelligence that issues simplified output, including a score, classification, or recommendation, that is designed or used to assist or replace human discretionary decisionmaking and materially impacts natural persons.
This bill would require a developer of a covered ADS, as defined, to take certain actions, including providing a potential deployer instructions explaining how the covered ADS should be used by the deployer to make or facilitate a consequential decision.
This bill would require a deployer of a covered ADS to take certain actions, including provide certain disclosures to a subject of a consequential decision made or facilitated by the covered ADS that results in an adverse outcome, as defined, and provide the subject with an opportunity to appeal the outcome of the consequential decision, as prescribed.
This bill would authorize the Attorney General to bring a specified civil action for noncompliance.
Summary from the Legislative Counsel's Digest of the amended senate text, August 28, 2026. Read the full text on leginfo.
How it got here
Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan introduced AB 1018 on February 20, 2025, with coauthors Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Bryan, Ortega, and Ward and Senator Padilla. The text was amended 7 times, 2 in the Assembly and 5 in the Senate, and heard in 7 committee hearings before its final floor votes.
- Assembly Floor, June 2, 2025: 50 ayes, 16 noes.
Committee votes along the way:
- Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection, April 22, 2025: Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary], 9-3.
- Assembly Judiciary, April 29, 2025: Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations], 8-3.
- Assembly Appropriations, May 23, 2025: Do pass., 10-3.
- Senate Judiciary, July 15, 2025: Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations], 11-2.
- Senate Appropriations, August 18, 2025: Placed on suspense file, 7-0.
- Senate Appropriations, August 29, 2025: Do pass, 5-2.
Who supports and opposes AB 1018
The Senate Floor Analyses analysis dated August 30, 2026 lists 57 organizations in support and 86 in opposition. When Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection first listed positions on April 20, 2025, the count was 54 in support and 41 opposed. By the Senate Floor Analyses analysis of August 30, 2026 it was 57 to 86.
In support: TechEquity Action (sponsor); ACCE Action (Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment); American Federation of Musicians, Local 7; Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California; California Center for Movement Legal Services; California Civil Liberties Advocacy; California Community Foundation; California Employment Lawyers Association; and 49 more.
Opposed: Advanced Medical Technology Association; Aerospace and Defense Alliance of California; American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists - District Ix; American Financial Services Association; American Innovators Network; American Property Casualty Insurance Association; American Staffing Association; America's Physician Groups; and 78 more.
Read the Senate Floor Analyses analysis.
Our read
Analysis by Capitol Axis, drawn from the committee analyses and vote record for AB 1018.
Among the positions on the record is California Civil Liberties Advocacy, in support.
Between Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection and Senate Floor Analyses the opposed count went from 41 to 86, against a rise of 3 in support. Opposition that consolidates in the second house is responding to language, not to the idea.
Advanced Medical Technology Association, Aerospace and Defense Alliance of California and American Financial Services Association appear on the opposed list, which runs to 86 organizations, spread across 5 distinct sectors. A front that wide is not assembled over one provision.
The sponsor is TechEquity Action. Sponsorship tells you whose problem the bill was written to solve.
What happens next
It is on the Senate floor. The last recorded action was on August 30, 2026.
The Governor can sign the bill, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Until the decision, sign and veto request letters are the remaining channel, and the Department of Finance's enrolled bill report carries weight on anything with a fiscal effect. If signed, most provisions take effect January 1, and implementation moves to the agencies named in the bill.
What it means for AI organizations
This is the stage where language still changes. Amendments taken in committee are the ones that reach the Governor, so an organization with a stake in the drafting has a reason to be in that conversation now rather than after the vote.
The AI group at Capitol Axis handles that for AI clients.
Questions about AB 1018
What does AB 1018 do?
This bill would generally regulate the development and deployment of an automated decision system (ADS) used to make consequential decisions, as defined. The bill would define “automated decision system” to mean a computational process derived from machine learning, statistical modeling, data analytics, or artificial intelligence that issues simplified output, including a score, classification, or recommendation, that is designed or used to assist or replace human discretionary decisionmaking and materially impacts natural persons.
Has AB 1018 passed the California Legislature?
It is on the Senate floor. The last recorded action was on August 30, 2026.
Who supports and opposes AB 1018?
The Senate Floor Analyses analysis dated August 30, 2026 lists 57 organizations in support and 86 in opposition. Supporters include TechEquity Action (sponsor); ACCE Action (Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment); American Federation of Musicians, Local 7. Opponents include Advanced Medical Technology Association; Aerospace and Defense Alliance of California; American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists - District Ix.
What happens next with AB 1018?
It still has committee and floor votes ahead of it. Amendments taken now are the ones that reach the Governor, so this is the stage where language changes are still possible.