California has moved from telling AI companies to be transparent to setting rules for who gets to check their work. On September 9, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills that create what the state calls first-in-the-nation standards for independent assessments of AI systems, and used the signing to call on the federal government to do its part.
The two laws
Senate Bill 813, authored by Senator Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton, establishes a framework for independent verification organizations to assess AI systems for compliance with state law. Assembly Bill 1405, from Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan of Orinda, creates a state registry of AI auditors with standards for independence, transparency and integrity.
The goal in both cases is third-party evaluation: as AI is embedded in critical sectors, the state wants outside auditors, not just the developers, to attest that systems behave as claimed. McNerney said California is taking the lead on assessing AI safety risks because Washington is unable or unwilling to do so. Bauer-Kahan said third-party auditors are essential to keeping AI safe for communities and critical infrastructure.
Building on SB 53
The new laws sit on top of a steady escalation. Newsom vetoed the sweeping SB 1047 in 2024 but signed SB 53, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, in September 2025, along with the state's first child-safety protections for AI chatbots. In 2026 the governor's office has also issued an executive order on privacy protections, launched a Tech Fraud Task Force and announced an AI Cyber Defense Program.
What comes next
This is not the end of the session's AI work. According to the Transparency Coalition, California lawmakers passed about 30 AI-related bills in 2026, and Newsom has until September 30 to sign or veto the rest. For AI developers, the practical takeaway is that California is no longer only asking for disclosures. It is standing up an audit industry and deciding who qualifies to run it.
Source: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, Transparency Coalition
Photo: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom (source)
