California 2023-2024 Regular Session Status: Enacted 2 D cosponsors

AB 2481 — Social media-related threats: reporting.

Last action — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 832, Statutes of 2024.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 13, 2024. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom (Democratic) on September 28, 2024.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 74% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 D).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 5 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

The Cyberbullying Protection Act requires a social media platform to disclose all cyberbullying reporting procedures in the social media platform's terms of service and to establish a mechanism within its internet-based service that allows an individual, whether or not that individual has a profile on the internet-based service, to report cyberbullying or any content that violates the existing terms of service. Existing law requires the reporting mechanism to allow, but not require, an individual to upload a screenshot of the content that contains cyberbullying or violates the terms of service. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2026, require a social media platform to disclose all social media-related threat reporting procedures for certain verified reporters in the social media platform's terms of service. The bill would define "social media-related threat" to mean content posted on a social media platform that promotes, incites, facilitates, or perpetrates any of certain things, including cyberbullying, suicide, and drug trafficking. This bill would require a large social media platform, as defined, to, among other things, create a process to verify certain individuals as verified reporters, including a school principal, as specified. The bill would require, in addition to any other reporting mechanism required by state law, a large social media platform to create a process by which a verified reporter can make a report of a social media-related threat or a violation of the large social media platform's terms of service that in the verified reporter's opinion poses a risk or a severe risk to the health and safety of a minor. The bill would require a large social media platform that receives a report from a verified reporter to, on a publicly accessible internet website, report annually on, among other things, the total number of reports from a verified reporter received for the calendar year.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 832, Statutes of 2024.

  2. Approved by the Governor.

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

  4. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 58. Noes 0.).

  5. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  6. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 2.).

  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  9. Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading.

  10. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (July 2).

  11. Referred to Com. on JUD.

  12. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  13. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 46. Noes 0. Page 5510.)

  14. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  15. Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

  16. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (April 30).

  17. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

  18. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.

  19. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

  20. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.

  21. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

  22. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.

  23. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

  24. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.

  25. Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and PUB. S.

  26. From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

  27. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 120 not signed on · 3 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (120)

120 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 120 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

AB 2481 Lowenthal Concurrence in Senate Amendments

Passed 58 Yea · 0 Nay · 21 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 39008
Unaffiliated 15004
Republican 4009
Total 580021
% of votes cast 73%0%0%27%
How each member voted (79)
Member Party Vote
Holden — Yea
Mathis — Yea
Maienschein — Yea
Villapudua — Yea
Ting — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Friedman — Yea
Low — Yea
Wood — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Rodriguez — Not Voting
Essayli — Not Voting
Waldron — Not Voting
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Not Voting
Luz Rivas — Yea
Wendy Carrillo — Yea
Addis, Dawn Democratic Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Alvarez, David Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bains, Jasmeet Democratic Yea
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Bennett, Steve Democratic Yea
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Boerner, Tasha Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Not Voting
Carrillo, Juan Democratic Yea
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Yea
Connolly, Damon Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Gabriel, Jesse Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Not Voting
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Not Voting
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Lee, Alex Democratic Yea
Lowenthal, Josh Democratic Yea
McKinnor, Tina Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Not Voting
Ortega, Liz Democratic Not Voting
Pacheco, Blanca Democratic Yea
Papan, Diane Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Petrie-Norris, Cottie Democratic Not Voting
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Yea
Ramos, James C. Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Rivas, Robert Democratic Yea
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Not Voting
Schiavo, Pilar Democratic Yea
Soria, Esmeralda Democratic Yea
Valencia, Avelino Democratic Yea
Ward, Christopher M. Democratic Yea
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Wilson, Lori D. Democratic Not Voting
Zbur, Rick Chavez Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Not Voting
Dahle, Megan Republican Not Voting
Davies, Laurie Republican Not Voting
Dixon, Diane Republican Not Voting
Flora, Heath Republican Not Voting
Gallagher, James Republican Yea
Hoover, Josh Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Not Voting
Patterson, Joe Republican Not Voting
Sanchez, Kate Republican Not Voting
Ta, Tri Republican Not Voting
Wallis, Greg Republican Yea

Official roll call →

3rd Reading AB2481 Lowenthal et al. By Stern

Passed 31 Yea · 3 Nay · 6 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 11000
Democratic 20101
Republican 0205
Total 31306
% of votes cast 78%8%0%15%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Roth — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Newman — Yea
Min — Yea
Wilk — Yea
Eggman — Yea
Glazer — Yea
Dodd — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Archuleta, Bob Democratic Nay
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Becker, Josh Democratic Yea
Blakespear, Catherine S. Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Cortese, Dave Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Gonzalez, Lena A. Democratic Yea
Hurtado, Melissa Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Limón, Monique Democratic Yea
McGuire, Mike Democratic Yea
Menjivar, Caroline Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Not Voting
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Rubio, Susan Democratic Yea
Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Yea
Alvarado-Gil, Marie Republican Not Voting
Dahle, Megan Republican Nay
Grove, Shannon Republican Not Voting
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay
Niello, Roger W. Republican Not Voting
Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie Republican Not Voting
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended

Passed 10 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 8000
Unaffiliated 2000
Republican 0001
Total 10001
% of votes cast 91%0%0%9%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Wilk — Yea
Roth — Yea
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Ashby, Angelique V. Democratic Yea
Caballero, Anna M. Democratic Yea
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Yea
Laird, John Democratic Yea
Stern, Henry I. Democratic Yea
Umberg, Thomas J. Democratic Yea
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Yea
Niello, Roger W. Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

AB 2481 Lowenthal Assembly Third Reading

Passed 46 Yea · 0 Nay · 34 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 350012
Republican 10012
Unaffiliated 100010
Total 460034
% of votes cast 58%0%0%43%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Maienschein — Yea
Ting — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Rendon — Yea
Wood — Yea
Low — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Holden — Not Voting
Mathis — Not Voting
Rodriguez — Not Voting
Villapudua — Not Voting
Friedman — Not Voting
Essayli — Not Voting
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Not Voting
Luz Rivas — Not Voting
Vince Fong — Not Voting
Wendy Carrillo — Not Voting
Addis, Dawn Democratic Yea
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Yea
Alvarez, David Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bains, Jasmeet Democratic Not Voting
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Bennett, Steve Democratic Yea
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Boerner, Tasha Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Not Voting
Carrillo, Juan Democratic Not Voting
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Not Voting
Connolly, Damon Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Gabriel, Jesse Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Not Voting
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Not Voting
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Lee, Alex Democratic Yea
Lowenthal, Josh Democratic Yea
McKinnor, Tina Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Not Voting
Ortega, Liz Democratic Yea
Pacheco, Blanca Democratic Not Voting
Papan, Diane Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Petrie-Norris, Cottie Democratic Not Voting
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Not Voting
Ramos, James C. Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Rivas, Robert Democratic Yea
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Not Voting
Schiavo, Pilar Democratic Yea
Soria, Esmeralda Democratic Yea
Valencia, Avelino Democratic Yea
Ward, Christopher M. Democratic Yea
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Wilson, Lori D. Democratic Not Voting
Zbur, Rick Chavez Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Yea
Chen, Phillip Republican Not Voting
Dahle, Megan Republican Not Voting
Davies, Laurie Republican Not Voting
Dixon, Diane Republican Not Voting
Flora, Heath Republican Not Voting
Gallagher, James Republican Not Voting
Hoover, Josh Republican Not Voting
Lackey, Tom Republican Not Voting
Patterson, Joe Republican Not Voting
Sanchez, Kate Republican Not Voting
Ta, Tri Republican Not Voting
Wallis, Greg Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended.

Passed 6 Yea · 0 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 6002
Republican 0003
Total 6005
% of votes cast 55%0%0%45%
How each member voted (11)
Member Party Vote
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Not Voting
Lowenthal, Josh Democratic Yea
Ortega, Liz Democratic Yea
Ward, Christopher M. Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Wilson, Lori D. Democratic Not Voting
Chen, Phillip Republican Not Voting
Dixon, Diane Republican Not Voting
Patterson, Joe Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 2481 do?
The Cyberbullying Protection Act requires a social media platform to disclose all cyberbullying reporting procedures in the social media platform's terms of service and to establish a mechanism within its internet-based service that allows an individual, whether or not that individual has a profile on the internet-based service, to report cyberbullying or any content that violates the existing terms of service. Existing law requires the reporting mechanism to allow, but not require, an individual to upload a screenshot of the content that contains cyberbullying or violates the terms of service. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2026, require a social media platform to disclose all social media-related threat reporting procedures for certain verified reporters in the social media platform's terms of service. The bill would define "social media-related threat" to mean content posted on a social media platform that promotes, incites, facilitates, or perpetrates any of certain things, including cyberbullying, suicide, and drug trafficking. This bill would require a large social media platform, as defined, to, among other things, create a process to verify certain individuals as verified reporters, including a school principal, as specified. The bill would require, in addition to any other reporting mechanism required by state law, a large social media platform to create a process by which a verified reporter can make a report of a social media-related threat or a violation of the large social media platform's terms of service that in the verified reporter's opinion poses a risk or a severe risk to the health and safety of a minor. The bill would require a large social media platform that receives a report from a verified reporter to, on a publicly accessible internet website, report annually on, among other things, the total number of reports from a verified reporter received for the calendar year.
Who sponsors AB 2481?
AB 2481 is sponsored by Lowenthal, Josh (Democratic) and Ortega, Liz (Democratic).
What is the current status of AB 2481?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 13, 2024. Enacted.
Where can I track AB 2481?
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