AI Frontier Institute

State agencies: automated decision systems.

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Senate Bill 1248, introduced by Senator Cabaldon on February 19, 2026, adds Chapter 6 (Sections 12898–12898.3) to the California Government Code to regulate how state agencies may use automated decision systems (ADS) when conferring 'services,' defined in Section 12898(g) to include social services, employment assistance, and the issuance, renewal, denial, or suspension of professional licenses or occupational credentials. Under Section 12898.1, agencies may use ADS to inform decisions but may not substitute ADS outputs for human judgment; ADS output must be only one of several factors considered. Agencies are expressly prohibited under Section 12898.1(c) from using ADS output as the sole basis for an adverse service determination—such as denial of a benefit or license—unless federal or state law expressly authorizes it. Section 12898.1(d) requires human review of any ADS output suggesting ineligibility before adverse action is taken. Agencies must also verify accuracy of ADS outputs, monitor for algorithmic bias across protected characteristics enumerated in Section 12898.1(g)(2), safeguard personally identifiable and protected health information under Section 12898.1(h), and conduct initial and periodic quality-control reviews of outputs under Section 12898.1(i). Section 12898.2 authorizes the Government Operations Agency (GovOps) to develop and publish guidance for agency ADS use, but requires it to notify the Joint Legislative Budget Committee before doing so. Section 12898.3 authorizes GovOps to provide technical assistance to agencies. The bill's findings in Section 1 highlight backlogs in professional licensing and the potential for ADS to modernize government services while preserving fairness and due process.

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