AB 2713 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California AI Transparency Act: system provenance data.

Summary

Existing law, the California AI Transparency Act, requires, among other things, a person that creates, codes, or otherwise produces a generative artificial intelligence (AI) system that has over 1,000,000 monthly visitors or users and is publicly accessible within the geographic boundaries of the state to make available an AI detection tool at no cost to the user. Existing law requires the AI detection tool to, among other things, allow a user to assess whether the image, video, or audio content was created or altered by that person's generative AI system. Existing law defines terms for these purposes and makes these provisions generally operative on August 2, 2026. Existing law also requires a large online platform to comply with specific duties relating to artificial intelligence, including, among other duties, allowing a user to inspect all available system provenance data that is compliant with widely adopted specifications adopted by an established standards-setting body by specified means. Existing law prohibits a large online platform from knowingly stripping any system provenance data or digital signature that is compliant with widely adopted specifications adopted by an established standards-setting body from content uploaded or distributed on the large online platform. Existing law makes these provisions, relating to a large online platform, operative on January 1, 2027. This bill would revise the duties and prohibitions applicable to a large online platform relating to artificial intelligence, including the requirement for allowing a user to inspect system provenance data. The bill would specify that these provisions do not require a large online platform to take any action with respect to provenance data, system provenance data, or digital signatures that are not compliant with widely adopted specifications issued by an established standards-setting body.

Issues: ✓ Technology

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Jun 2026

Assembly Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Last action Aug 28, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

04/21/26 - Amended Assembly → 08/21/26 - Amended Senate · 6 edits · Aug 21, 2026

MODERATE

The Senate amendment broadens the scope of provenance data obligations on large online platforms by removing the requirement that data be 'compliant with widely adopted specifications' from most provisions, meaning platforms must now detect, display, allow inspection of, and not strip any provenance data regardless of whether it meets a specific standard. A new privacy protection was added stating that these obligations do not require platforms to maintain, display, or allow download of personal information. The exemption clause was also refined to cover data that is 'not compliant or interoperable' with established specifications.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded significantly: most provisions no longer limit obligations to provenance data that meets a specific standards-body specification, instead covering any provenance data. However, a new privacy exemption was added to prevent these broader obligations from forcing platforms to expose personal information.

SCOPE

The detection requirement (subdivision (a)(1)) was broadened from requiring platforms to detect only provenance data 'compliant with widely adopted specifications adopted by an established standards-setting body' to detecting 'any provenance data' embedded into, attached to, or otherwise associated with content.

The inspection requirement (subdivision (a)(3)) was broadened from allowing inspection of 'all available system provenance data that is compliant with widely adopted specifications' to allowing inspection of 'any system provenance data embedded into, attached to, or otherwise associated with the content.'

The exemption provision (subdivision (d)) was refined to state that the section does not require action with respect to provenance data that is 'not compliant or interoperable' with widely adopted specifications, adding 'interoperable' as an additional qualifier alongside 'compliant.'

REQUIREMENT

The user interface requirement (subdivision (a)(2)(A)) was changed from disclosing the availability of system provenance data that indicates content was generated by a GenAI system, to requiring the interface to reliably indicate whether any system provenance data or digital signature identifies the content as having been generated or substantially altered by a GenAI system or captured by a capture device.

ELIGIBILITY

A new subdivision (b) was added stating that the obligations shall not be construed to require a large online platform to maintain, display, or allow a user to download personal information. This creates a privacy carve-out from the provenance transparency requirements.

ENFORCEMENT

The prohibition on stripping provenance data (subdivision (c)) was broadened from prohibiting stripping of data 'compliant with widely adopted specifications' to prohibiting stripping of 'any system provenance data or digital signature' from content uploaded to, distributed on, or downloaded from the platform.

04/06/26 - Amended Assembly → 04/21/26 - Amended Assembly · 7 edits · Apr 21, 2026

MODERATE

The April 21 amendment to AB 2713 removes the civil penalty increase (from $5,000 to $5,500 per violation) that was in the prior version, and substantially reworks the provenance data inspection requirements for large online platforms. The bill now broadens what counts as covered provenance data (adding 'otherwise associated with'), adds a new exemption for non-compliant provenance data, expands the anti-stripping prohibition to cover content downloaded from the platform, and revises the acceptable means of inspection to include a format restriction on downloads.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed by removing the civil penalty enforcement provision (Section 22757.4 amendment) but broadened in its substantive requirements by expanding what counts as covered provenance data and extending the anti-stripping duty to downloads, while adding a new exemption for non-compliant provenance data.

ENFORCEMENT

The civil penalty increase from $5,000 to $5,500 per violation (amending Section 22757.4) was entirely removed from the bill.

SCOPE

The scope of covered provenance data was broadened throughout from 'embedded into or attached to content' to 'embedded into, attached to, or otherwise associated with content,' capturing a wider range of metadata relationships.

ELIGIBILITY

A new exemption (subsection c) was added stating that the section does not require a large online platform to take any action with respect to provenance data, system provenance data, or digital signatures that are not compliant with widely adopted specifications issued by an established standards-setting body.

REQUIREMENT

The anti-stripping prohibition was expanded from covering content 'uploaded or distributed on' the platform to also cover content 'downloaded from' the large online platform.

The inspection requirement was changed from requiring platforms to allow inspection of 'all available system provenance data that is compliant with widely adopted specifications' to 'any system provenance data embedded into, attached to, or otherwise associated with the content,' removing the compliance precondition for the inspection duty.

TECHNICAL

The acceptable means of inspection were reorganized: the download option now requires the data be provided 'in a format that cannot be easily embedded into, attached to, or associated with unrelated content,' and the link option was moved up in the list.

DEFINITION

A coauthor (Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry) was added, and the section reference was corrected from 'Section 22757.4 22757.3.1' to just 'Section 22757.3.1.'

03/19/26 - Amended Assembly → 04/06/26 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · Apr 6, 2026

MODERATE

AB 2713 was substantially restructured between these versions. The bill removed a nonsubstantive amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure (Section 421) and added an entirely new section (22757.3.1) imposing detailed requirements on large online platforms to detect, disclose, and allow user inspection of system provenance data attached to content. The civil penalty increase to $5,500 per violation was retained. The fiscal committee recommendation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now carries a fiscal note.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded significantly. It previously only addressed civil penalty amounts (and a nonsubstantive CCP amendment). It now adds substantive operational requirements for large online platforms regarding provenance data detection, disclosure, user inspection, and preservation, effectively creating a new compliance obligation with its own operative date of January 1, 2027.

SCOPE

The amendment to Section 421 of the Code of Civil Procedure (a nonsubstantive change to pleading rules) was removed entirely from the bill.

REQUIREMENT

New Section 22757.3.1 requires large online platforms to detect whether compliant provenance data is embedded in content, provide a user interface disclosing the availability of system provenance data (including whether it is available, the name of the GenAI system or capture device, and whether digital signatures exist), and allow users to inspect all available provenance data.

The inspection requirement can be satisfied by any of three means: direct inspection through the platform's user interface, allowing download of content with attached provenance data (subject to federal copyright laws), or providing a link to the provenance data on a website or third-party application.

Large online platforms are prohibited from knowingly stripping system provenance data or digital signatures from uploaded or distributed content, to the extent technically feasible.

TIMELINE

The new Section 22757.3.1 has an operative date of January 1, 2027, which is later than the existing AI Transparency Act provisions that become operative on August 2, 2026.

FISCAL

The fiscal committee recommendation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now carries a fiscal impact note.

Floor votes · Senate Aug 27, 2026 · Assembly May 21, 2026

How they voted

40–0

Passed

Total votes 40

Aug 27, 2026

D Democratic30

30 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican10

10 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0.).

lower

Aug 27, 2026

Introduced

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

lower

Aug 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

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

upper

Aug 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

upper

Jun 16, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (June 15).

upper

Jun 3, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on P., D.T., & C.P.

upper

May 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 5233.)

lower

Apr 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

lower

Apr 20, 2026

Introduced

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 16).

lower

Apr 7, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

lower

Apr 6, 2026

Introduced

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

lower

Mar 31, 2026

Lower · Passed

In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

lower

Mar 23, 2026

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

lower

Mar 19, 2026

Introduced

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

lower

Mar 19, 2026

Committee

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

lower

Feb 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor