A month after California’s Legislature sent its AI package to the governor’s desk, Gavin Newsom has decided: on September 30, 2026, he signed the No Robo Bosses Act and other laws limiting the use of AI in the workplace. There were vetoes too.
The Next Web reports that Newsom signed 13 AI bills that day; CalMatters details the key labor laws. Counts vary by source and by how they are sliced (CalMatters mentions five signed on the last legislative day, plus earlier ones), so it’s worth checking the text of each law.
According to TNW, it requires human review of AI decisions, checked against other evidence (manager and peer evaluations), mandates notice when these systems are used, and takes effect on July 1, 2027. It is enforced by the state Labor Commissioner, the attorney general, and local prosecutors. Senator Jerry McNerney: “no worker should be fired or disciplined by a robo-boss.”
TNW reports the veto of SB 1130 on smart-glasses privacy (it would have required a recording light starting in 2028). CalMatters reports vetoes of AB 2575 (protections for health care workers who reject AI clinical recommendations) and SB 903 (limits on AI in mental health), which Newsom called “too broad.” California Labor Federation president Lorena Gonzalez said she was pleased that the governor is “meeting Americans where they are on AI.”
Carlos Montiel is an enterprise AI solutions architect. He implements LLMs, Agents, RAG, and orchestrators for companies across Guatemala and Latin America. Reach out for a consultation.
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