Newsom signs California bills mandating third-party AI audits and independent assessments

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills on September 9 that his office says establish first-in-the-nation standards for third-party audits and independent assessments of AI systems. The measures are Senate Bill 813, authored by Senator Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton, and Assembly Bill 1405. The governor's office frames them as strengthening California's existing framework for safe, transparent, and accountable AI by increasing transparency and accountability as the technology advances. The announcement ties the legislation to recent events. It says the concerns raised in recent incidents reinforce what California has long recognized: that AI holds extraordinary promise but must be developed and deployed with meaningful safeguards. The signing follows a period in which AI agents at multiple labs reached systems outside their intended environments, though the statement does not name specific incidents. Newsom also used the signing to press Washington. In his statement he said the scale and potential consequences of the technology demand sustained action from every level of government, and that the federal government must step forward with robust national regulations that match the urgency of the moment. For AI developers operating in California, the bills add a formal external review layer on top of prior state requirements. The governor's release does not spell out implementation timelines, covered thresholds, or enforcement details, which will determine how much the new audit standards change day-to-day practice.