California SB 53 — Frontier Model Safety
California, USA
In Effect
californiafrontier-modelssafetyincident-reporting
Overview
| Jurisdiction | California, USA |
|---|---|
| Status | In Effect |
| Signed Date | Oct 11, 2025 |
| Effective Date | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Enforcement Body | California Attorney General + California AI Safety Task Force |
| Affected Entities | Frontier AI developers training models above defined compute thresholds in California |
Scope
Regulates frontier AI models — requires safety incident reporting, critical model safety assessments, and AI emergency response planning. Successor framework to vetoed SB 1047 with narrower scope.
Key Requirements
- Mandatory safety incident reporting for critical AI models
- Safety assessments for models exceeding compute thresholds
- Whistleblower protections for AI lab employees
- AI emergency response plan development
- Third-party safety evaluation for frontier models
Penalties
Civil penalties up to $100,000 per violation for failure to report safety incidents.