All Roll Calls
Yes: 265 • No: 0
CaliforniaAB 6212025-2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
Deepfake pornography.
Sponsored By: Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (Democratic), Marc Berman (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
Your PRIA Score
Score Hidden
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
Stronger lawsuits and higher damages for victims
The law lets you sue anyone who makes or shares sexual deepfakes of you without consent. It also covers people who help others make or share them and protects minors. You can recover the wrongdoer’s profits, your losses and emotional distress, and attorney’s fees. Or you can choose statutory damages of $1,500 to $50,000 per work, and up to $250,000 per work if the act was malicious. Public prosecutors can also get court orders and civil penalties of $25,000 per violation, or $50,000 for malice.
Tougher rules for deepfake sites and hosts
Owners or operators of deepfake porn services are presumed to know you did not consent unless they show your written consent. Companies that enable such services must stop within 30 days after you or a prosecutor submit evidence through a clearly posted contact or process. A court can allow more time for active law enforcement investigations. But federal protections, including Section 230, still apply. Internet service providers are not liable for merely transmitting or routing third‑party content.
Stronger consent rules and rights
Consent must be in writing, in plain language, and signed knowingly and voluntarily. You can rescind consent within three business days. The rescission right does not apply if you had at least 72 hours to review before signing or if an authorized representative approved in writing. A disclaimer in the material or a service’s policy is not enough to avoid liability.
Three-year deadline to sue
You must file your case within three years of when you discovered the deepfake or should have found it with reasonable diligence. The clock starts at discovery, not when it was first created or shared.
Narrow exceptions for news and law
The law does not allow suits for sharing material in reporting illegal acts, law enforcement duties, or court proceedings. It also protects material that is newsworthy, political, or protected commentary or criticism. Being a public figure alone does not make material newsworthy.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
Democratic • House
Marc Berman
Democratic • House
Cosponsors
Juan Alanis
Republican • House
Isaac Bryan
Democratic • House
Diane Dixon
Republican • House
Jacqui Irwin
Democratic • House
Josh Lowenthal
Democratic • House
Liz Ortega
Democratic • House
Gail Pellerin
Democratic • House
Buffy Wicks
Democratic • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 9/10/2025
Item 248 — Assembly AFLOOR
Yes: 79 • No: 0
Senate vote • 9/9/2025
Item 334 — Senate SFLOOR
Yes: 40 • No: 0
legislature vote • 8/29/2025
Vote in CS61
Yes: 7 • No: 0
legislature vote • 8/18/2025
Vote in CS61
Yes: 7 • No: 0
legislature vote • 7/15/2025
Vote in CS53
Yes: 13 • No: 0
House vote • 6/2/2025
Item 126 — Assembly AFLOOR
Yes: 78 • No: 0
legislature vote • 5/23/2025
Vote in CX25
Yes: 14 • No: 0
legislature vote • 4/8/2025
Vote in CX13
Yes: 12 • No: 0
legislature vote • 3/18/2025
Vote in CX32
Yes: 15 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 673, Statutes of 2025.
10/13/2025SenateApproved by the Governor.
10/13/2025legislatureEnrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
9/22/2025legislatureSenate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3225.).
9/10/2025HouseIn Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
9/9/2025HouseRead third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2656.).
9/9/2025SenateRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
9/8/2025SenateRead third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9/5/2025SenateFrom committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
8/29/2025SenateRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
8/29/2025SenateIn committee: Referred to suspense file.
8/18/2025SenateFrom committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
7/16/2025SenateFrom committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.
7/3/2025SenateReferred to Com. on JUD.
6/11/2025SenateIn Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
6/3/2025SenateRead third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 1841.)
6/2/2025HouseRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
5/27/2025HouseFrom committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
5/23/2025HouseIn committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.
4/23/2025HouseRe-referred to Com. on APPR.
4/10/2025HouseRead second time and amended.
4/9/2025HouseFrom 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).
4/8/2025HouseRe-referred to Com. on JUD.
3/25/2025HouseRead second time and amended.
3/24/2025HouseFrom committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (March 18).
3/20/2025House
Bill Text
Chaptered
10/13/2025
Enrolled
9/12/2025
Amended Senate
9/5/2025
Amended Senate
7/3/2025
Amended Assembly
4/9/2025
Amended Assembly
3/24/2025
Introduced
2/13/2025