The California Legislature is nearing a deadline this week to pass several new bills and send them to the governor’s desk.
Some prominent bills already awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature address issues such as artificial intelligence safety and security, limiting cell phone use in schools and legal cannabis cafes.
Several other bills are still up in the air, awaiting Assembly or Senate votes, including one that would further limit self-checkout stations in retail stores and require staffing at the stations of one employee per two stations and another that would hold social media companies accountable for harms that their algorithms and technology cause to children.
The bills still in limbo must make it through the Legislature before midnight Aug. 31.
The AI bill authored by Sen. Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) adds protections for the public from cyberattacks and prohibits its use for developing chemical, nuclear or biological weapons.
Another bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to qualify for state-backed mortgage loans also passed, but Newsom has not signaled whether or not he will sign it.
A new driverless truck ban bill also passed the Legislature, but Newsom vetoed a similar measure last year.
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On Friday, Newsom is expected to meet with the U.S. Secretary of Energy in Oakland at the launch of the nation’s first hydrogen hub.
Once bills are passed in the Legislature, the governor has until the end of September to sign or veto them.
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