California Prohibit Certain Uses of Artificial Intelligence by Minors and Smartphone Use During the School Day Initiative (2026)
| California Prohibit Certain Uses of Artificial Intelligence by Minors and Smartphone Use During the School Day Initiative | |
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| Topic Business regulations and Public education governance |
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| Status Cleared for signature gathering |
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| Type Initiated state statute |
Origin |
The California Prohibit Certain Uses of Artificial Intelligence by Minors and Smartphone Use During the School Day Initiative (#25-0025) may appear on the ballot in California as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2026.
The initiative would prohibit the use of certain artificial intelligence powered chatbots by minors, prohibit the use of smartphones during the school day, establish statutory damages for actual harm caused by the use of AI chatbots or social media, and prohibit the selling or sharing of data from minors without consent.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title is as follows:
| “ | Child safety requirements for artificial intelligence products. Prohibits smartphones in schools. Initiative statute.[2] | ” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets is as follows:
| “ | Requires risk assessments and risk labels for artificial intelligence (AI) products likely to be used by children. Prohibits distribution to children of AI products that present an “unacceptable risk,” including certain “companion chatbots” (AI software that simulates humanlike relationships). Extends prohibition on selling or sharing personal data without consent to all children under 18 (up from 16). Authorizes new monetary penalties in lawsuits for actual harm to children caused by AI or social media products. Prohibits student use of personal smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets at school.[2] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the initiative can be read here.
Path to the ballot
An initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are 21 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes, including 14 that provide for direct initiatives and nine (9) that provide for indirect initiatives (two provide for both). An indirect initiated state statute goes to the legislature after a successful signature drive. The legislatures in these states have the option of approving the initiative itself, rather than the initiative appearing on the ballot.
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval. The requirements to get initiated state statutes certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 546,651 valid signatures are required.
- Deadline: The deadline for signature verification is June 25, 2026. However, the secretary of state suggested deadlines for turning in signatures of January 12, 2026, for initiatives needing a full check of signatures and April 17, 2026, for initiatives needing a random sample of signatures verified.
Initiative #25-0025
- October 22, 2025: James P. Steyer filed the initiative with the California Attorney General's Office.[1]
- December 26, 2025: The initiative was cleared for signature gathering.
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Attorney General Information: Initiative and Referendum Proposals Pending Review By Attorney General, "25-0023 text," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
