patch.com · September 4, 2026
CA Laws Targeting Solar, Electric Shock Police Gloves, Insurance, AI And ICE Await Newsom | Healdsburg, CA Patch
# CA Laws Targeting Solar, Electric Shock Police Gloves, Insurance, AI And ICE Await Newsom
## California lawmakers sent measures targeting detention centers, youth technology harms, offshore drilling, and elder abuse.
Angela Woodall, Patch Staff
Posted Fri, Sep 4, 2026 at 3:43 pm PT
The 2018 Camp Fire, California’s deadliest and most destructive, began when poorly maintained PG&E equipment failed amid strong winds in Butte County. Lawmakers blocked a Newsom-backed bill to reduce utilities’ wildfire liability. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom received a flurry of bills from California lawmakers before the legislative session ended Tuesday.
Nearly a dozen that landed on the desk of the outgoing governor's desk address a list of California’s most contentious issues. Their fates remain in limbo as Newsom has never been shy about using his veto power. According to CalMatters, his 2025 veto rate was 13.4 percent when he blocked 123 out of 917 bills.
The closely-watched bills include several that would tax private detention center operators, restrict immigration officers’ employment, regulate children’s interactions with technology, block offshore drilling, and expose abuse at senior care facilities.
With enough votes to bypass Republicans in the Legislature, Democrats passed bills designed to slow the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, prevent expanded offshore oil drilling, and delay an Oakland coal export terminal. Lawmakers also approved protections governing how technology companies target children.
One of the measures that did get to the "enacted" finish line declared Dolly Parton Day to honor the country music icon, who died last month, and her famous working woman’s anthem, “9 to 5.”
Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the measures as he finishes his final session in Sacramento and lays the groundwork for a likely 2028 presidential run.
Here are some of the major bills awaiting his decision:
## Immigration tax: AB 1633
A private detention facility tax, AB 1633 would impose an annual tax equal to 25 percent of a private detention facility operator’s gross income from the previous fiscal year. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration would begin collecting the tax July 1, 2028, with proceeds supporting immigration-related services through the Due Process for All Fund.
San Francisco Democratic Assemblymember Matt Haney introduced the bill following reports of poor conditions at private immigration detention facilities. The Legislature passed the measure after a federal court challenge undermined a 2019 California law intended to prohibit privately owned detention facilities. Whether the tax would apply to a proposed federal detention center in Gilroy remains unclear because federal officials have not announced whether a private contractor would operate it.
Supporters say the tax would hold private detention companies accountable and help offset the effects on immigrant communities. Opponents, including Republican lawmakers, argue that it could force detention centers to close and return immigrants, including some with criminal backgrounds, to local communities.
## Electric shock gloves: AB 2760
California lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 2760 in response to the Trump administration’s plan to spend as much as $20 million on electroshock gloves for federal immigration agents.
AB 2760 would ban all law enforcement agencies, including federal agencies, from using wearable electroshock devices in California.
The bill would also prohibit state and local agencies from using state money to buy the devices and require them to update their use-of-force policies accordingly.
Under AB 2760, the California Department of Justice would study the devices’ safety and effects on communities, recommend standards and safeguards, and report findings to the Legislature by Jan. 1, 2029.
The state would reimburse local agencies for mandated expenses if the Commission on State Mandates determines they qualify.
Milpitas Democratic Assemblymember Alex Lee authored the bill. Republicans opposed it.
Supporters, including immigrant advocates, say the gloves are dangerous and untested. Opponents, including some police agencies, describe the devices as a de-escalation tool. The Department of Homeland Security has said they would not comply with the bill because state lawmakers cannot constitutionally regulate federal law enforcement.
## Screening former immigration officers: AB 1896
California would become the first state to require special screening of former federal immigration officers seeking law enforcement jobs if Newsom signs AB 1896, known as the GTFO Act.
The bill would prevent people who previously conducted immigration enforcement as sworn officers or contractors from holding a range of state and local public-sector jobs, according to a Politico analysis.
Former immigration officers applying to become police officers would have to pass a suitability review created by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Hiring agencies would consider news reports, verified social media posts, civil complaints, and other sources. The bill would take effect in 2028.
The bill could face a court challenge. The U.S. Department of Justice has sued California over other legislation enacted during Trump’s second presidency, including one law prohibiting federal officers from concealing their identities with masks and another requiring agents who are not in uniform to display identification.
Los Angeles Democratic Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez, the bill’s principal author, said he was not concerned about possible litigation because “everything is on the table.”
“The Trump administration has done everything illegally since they took office,” Gonzalez said in a Politico interview. “What we told the feds today, the Trump administration, is GTFO.”
Newsom also will consider legislation that would prevent immigration detention operators from using state-owned property and allow Californians to sue government officials for alleged constitutional violations.
## Child AI addition: SB 1119
This bill, SB 1119: Responsible artificial intelligence for youth, would require companies offering AI companion chatbots to protect children from unreasonable risks of harm.
Beginning July 1, 2027, companies would have to conduct and document comprehensive child-safety assessments before launching new or substantially modified chatbots in California. Independent auditors would review the companies’ compliance and submit confidential reports to the state attorney general.
Public prosecutors could sue companies that violate the law. Children who suffer actual harm, or their parents or guardians acting on their behalf, also could bring civil lawsuits against chatbot operators.
Consumer advocacy groups supported the bill, while associations representing Silicon Valley technology companies opposed it.
## Addictive child social media: AB 1709
Social media companies would be penalized for offering users younger than 16 potentially addictive features, including infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, algorithmic feeds, and engagement-driven notifications.
The bill, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, would require platforms to provide non-addictive versions of their services or delete underage accounts if they cannot comply.
The measure would also create an e-Safety Advisory Commission and allow penalties of up to $50,000 for each minor affected by a knowing violation.
Child-safety groups supported the bill, while technology, privacy, and civil-liberties organizations warned about access restrictions and intrusive age verification. Lawmakers completed action on Aug. 31, but the bill had not been signed into law as of Sept