California Senate Bill 1276
Session 20252026
Crimes: sexual exploitation of a child.
Became Law
Became Law on Sep 10, 2026
Sponsor
Rubio
First Action
Feb 20, 2026
Latest Action
Sep 10, 2026
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill Number
1276
State
California
Session
20252026
Motion Text
Special Consent SB1276 Rubio et al.
Senate Roll Call Votes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Summary
Under existing law, a person is guilty of sexual exploitation of a child if the person knowingly develops, duplicates, prints, or exchanges any representation of information, data, or image, including, but not limited to, any film, filmstrip, photograph, negative, slide, photocopy, videotape, video laser disc, computer hardware, computer software, computer floppy disc, data storage media, CD-ROM, or computer-generated equipment or any other computer-generated image that contains or incorporates in any manner, any film or filmstrip that depicts a person under 18 years of age engaged in an act of sexual conduct, as defined. Existing law makes a violation of this section punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony, as specified.
This bill would, except as specified, make a person guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony if the person knowingly does any of the above-described actions, or downloads, streams, or accesses through electronic or digital media the above-described sexual conduct, knowing that the matter depicts a person under 18 years of age engaged in an act of sexual conduct. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law, the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, requires a mandated reporter, as defined, to make a report to a specified agency whenever the mandated reporter, in their professional capacity or within the scope of their employment, has knowledge of or observes a child whom the mandated reporter knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse or neglect. For the purposes of this act, existing law includes sexual exploitation, and defines sexual exploitation as, among other things, a person who depicts a child in, or who knowingly develops, duplicates, prints, downloads, streams, accesses through any electronic or digital media, or exchanges, a film, photograph, videotape, video recording, negative, or slide in which a child is engaged in an act of obscene sexual conduct, except as specified.
This bill would broaden the above-described definition to include any digitally altered or artificial-intelligence-generated matter that depicts a person under 18 years of age engaged in an act of sexual conduct, as specified.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
02/20/26 - Introduced
February 20, 2026
08/13/26 - Amended Assembly
August 13, 2026
08/31/26 - Enrolled
August 31, 2026
09/10/26 - Chaptered
September 10, 2026
04/12/26- Senate Public Safety
April 12, 2026
04/24/26- Senate Appropriations
April 24, 2026
05/16/26- Sen. Floor Analyses
May 16, 2026
06/22/26- Assembly Public Safety
June 22, 2026
06/28/26- Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection
June 28, 2026
08/03/26- Assembly Appropriations
August 3, 2026
08/17/26- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS
August 17, 2026
08/25/26- Sen. Floor Analyses
August 25, 2026
Sort by most recent
09/10/2026
California State Legislature
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 192, Statutes of 2026.
09/10/2026
California State Legislature
Approved by the Governor.
09/04/2026
California State Legislature
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
08/28/2026
Senate
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
08/27/2026
Senate
Ordered to special consent calendar.
08/25/2026
Senate
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
08/25/2026
Assembly
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6476.) Ordered to the Senate.
08/17/2026
Assembly
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
08/13/2026
Assembly
Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
08/13/2026
Assembly
From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 13).
08/13/2026
Assembly
Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
08/05/2026
Assembly
August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
07/02/2026
Assembly
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
07/02/2026
Assembly
Coauthors revised.
06/24/2026
Assembly
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
06/01/2026
Assembly
Referred to Coms. on PUB. S. and P. & C.P.
05/22/2026
Assembly
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
05/22/2026
Senate
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 4420.) Ordered to the Assembly.
05/20/2026
Senate
Ordered to special consent calendar.
05/14/2026
Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
05/14/2026
Senate
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4271.) (May 14).
05/08/2026
Senate
Set for hearing May 14.
04/27/2026
Senate
April 27 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
04/17/2026
Senate
Set for hearing April 27.
04/14/2026
Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 3872.) (April 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
03/27/2026
Senate
Set for hearing April 14.
03/04/2026
Senate
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
02/23/2026
Senate
Read first time.
02/23/2026
Senate
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
02/20/2026
Senate
Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Sources
Record Created
Feb 21, 2026 8:40:15 AM
Record Updated
Sep 12, 2026 9:27:44 AM