California Built an AI Audit System. Using It Stays Voluntary.
Newsom signed SB 813 and AB 1405 on September 9, 2026, creating the country's first registry of independent AI auditors. The statute says in operative text that no developer must engage one. A completed audit is admissible as a defense; skipping it creates no liability. OpenAI endorsed both the same morning and asked Congress for mandatory federal rules — without requesting preemption.