Press Releases

SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) introduced Senate Bill 941, which would prohibit the excessive markup of products sold at private detention facilities.




SACRAMENTO – This week, the California State Senate approved Senate Bill 58 by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego), which will update California’s air quality standard for hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gas that is found at high concentrations in the Tijuana River Valley and the Salton Sea region. California’s hydrogen sulfide standard has not been updated since 1969.




SACRAMENTO – Today, the California State Senate approved Senate Bill 300, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). Last year, Senator Padilla authored SB 243, which created the nation’s first guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots. SB 300 would build on this effort by further strengthening the protections against exposing minors to sexually explicit material.




SACRAMENTO – Today, State Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) issued the following statement in response a new study from Common Sense Media highlighting the potential dangers of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled toys:




SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) introduced Senate Bill 903, a measure designed to ensure that mental health services are safe, ethical, and conducted by trained professionals, not artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. This bill would prohibit AI algorithms from providing or advertising “therapy” and set standards for professional’s use of AI to promote human-centered care.




Two Bills Introduced in Senate to Shield Ratepayers from Higher Energy Costs and Protect California’s Climate Goals




SACRAMENTO – Today, State Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) issued the following statement in response to OpenAI and Common Sense Media reaching an agreement on comprehensive chatbot safety regulations that builds upon last year’s SB 243 to protect children and other vulnerable users:




SACRAMENTO – Today, on the eve of the 1-year anniversary of the Eaton Fire, newly-appointed Senate Insurance Committee Chair, Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) and California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara introduced Senate Bill 876, which would comprehensively reform the insurance claims process by cutting red tape, improving payouts, and ending delays and runarounds by insurance companies.