Key Takeaways
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 813 and AB 1405 on September 9, the first US laws to require independent, third-party audits of AI systems.
SB 813 creates a framework for independent verification organizations, and AB 1405 sets up a state registry of AI auditors with standards for independence and transparency.
The laws aim to stop AI companies from grading their own work and build on California's 2025 frontier AI transparency law, SB 53.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills on September 9 that will require independent, outside audits of artificial intelligence systems, the first laws of their kind in the United States, according to the governor's office.
The first, Senate Bill 813 from Senator Jerry McNerney, sets up a framework for independent verification organizations that can assess AI models and systems for compliance with state law. The second, Assembly Bill 1405 from Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, creates a state registry of AI auditors and sets standards for their independence, transparency, and integrity.
What the audit rules require
The California Government Operations Agency is directed to stand up the AI Auditor Registry by January 1, 2029, and from that date, people who are not on the registry cannot perform a covered AI audit, Quartz reported. A covered audit is an assessment of the internal controls and processes a company needs to comply with state law.
"We cannot expect industry to simply grade its own homework."
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, author of AB 1405
The laws build on SB 53, the frontier AI transparency law Newsom signed in 2025, which already requires large AI developers to publish safety frameworks and report serious incidents to the state. Newsom paired the signing with a call for the federal government to set national rules, saying the scale of the technology demands action from every level of government.
Why independent review matters
The through-line is accountability that does not depend on the company being graded. WYDE has covered the same tension in a federal push to set rules for generative AI in medical devices and in a frontier lab pausing a training run at a critical cyber threshold. Outside verification is becoming the price of public trust in AI. Worth watching.
People Also Ask
What did California's new AI laws do?
Newsom signed SB 813 and AB 1405, which require independent third-party audits of AI systems and create a state registry of AI auditors with standards for independence and transparency.
Who wrote California's AI audit laws?
SB 813 was authored by Senator Jerry McNerney, and AB 1405 was authored by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan.
When does the California AI auditor registry take effect?
The state must establish the AI Auditor Registry by January 1, 2029, after which only registered auditors can perform covered AI audits.
How do the laws relate to SB 53?
They build on SB 53, California's 2025 frontier AI transparency law, which already requires large AI developers to disclose safety frameworks and report critical incidents to the state.
Sources
Office of Governor Gavin Newsom (September 9, 2026) and Quartz (September 10, 2026).