Bill > SB1159

This bill clarifies that terms like "person," "interested person," and "member of the public" in various California transparency and governance laws, including the California Public Records Act and the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, refer to natural persons and legally recognized entities, and explicitly exclude artificial intelligence (AI) systems, autonomous agents, or robots. The bill defines "artificial intelligence" as an engineered or machine-based system that can influence environments based on the input it receives, and also defines "assistive technology" to ensure that individuals with disabilities are not negatively impacted. It authorizes governmental agencies to use a "disclosure verification tool" to detect the presence of AI and prohibits the knowing use of AI to falsely represent that a natural person engaged with a government agency. The bill also includes provisions allowing individuals to use AI to facilitate their own engagement with government agencies, provided the volume and frequency are consistent with ordinary human participation, and makes legislative findings that these changes further the constitutional right of public access to government information and meetings.