The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced April 28 that manufacturers will now be permitted to test large autonomous vehicles, including freight trucks, under a phased system that begins with human safety drivers and progresses to fully driverless operations.

    Under the updated regulations, companies must log significant testing miles before advancing. Light-duty vehicles are required to complete at least 50,000 miles at each stage, while heavy-duty vehicles must reach 500,000 miles. In addition, manufacturers must submit what the DMV describes as a “structured safety case,” demonstrating that their technology meets safety standards across hardware, software and real-world operations.

    The rules also tighten oversight. Law enforcement agencies will now be able to cite companies for traffic violations involving autonomous vehicles, a shift aimed at increasing accountability as more driverless systems enter public roadways.

    Emergency response coordination is another key focus. Companies operating autonomous vehicles must respond to first responders within 30 seconds, and local officials will have the authority to issue electronic geofencing orders that can redirect or remove vehicles from active emergency scenes.

    State officials say the changes are designed to strike a balance between innovation and safety. “California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a statement, adding that the updated framework is intended to improve transparency and strengthen safeguards for the public.

    The regulations also give local authorities the ability to establish temporary restricted zones where autonomous vehicles are not allowed to operate. Companies that fail to comply could face penalties, including permit limitations or suspension.

    In a significant shift, the DMV is lifting its previous ban on autonomous vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds, clearing the way for self-driving freight operations across the state.

    Some portions of the new rules are already in effect, while others will roll out gradually over the coming months, according to the agency.

    The move follows a 2023 decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto legislation that would have blocked heavy-duty autonomous vehicles from operating without drivers. At the time, Newsom argued that existing laws already gave the state sufficient authority to regulate the industry.

    “Autonomous vehicle technology is evolving,” the governor said in a prior statement, “and the DMV remains committed to keeping our rules current as that evolution continues.”

The post California Approves New Rules for Self-Driving Trucks and Autonomous Vehicles appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The two previously planned to place competing initiatives before voters, each stipulating that the one that got the most “yes” votes would win. OpenAI’s proposal largely reflected existing law, while the Common Sense measure included new bans on what AI systems children could access.

The merged measure is known as the Parents & Kids Safe AI Act. It would, among other things:

• Require chatbot developers use technology to estimate a user’s age range and apply filters and protective settings for  people with an age predicted under the age of 18
• Require AI systems to undergo independent audits to identify child safety risks and report them to the California attorney general
• Ban child-targeted advertising and the sale or sharing of kids’ data without a parent’s consent
• Stop manipulation through emotional dependency by preventing AI systems from promoting isolation from family or friends, simulating romantic relationships with kids, or claiming that they’re sentient

 A Common Sense spokesperson said the measure was filed Thursday afternoon. It’s not yet visible on the attorney general’s website but you can read a copy obtained by CalMatters here. As described in a press release, the combined measure drops a ban on student smartphones in K-12 California schools and prohibition on minors using chatbots capable of engaging in erotic or sexually explicit talk that were part of Common Sense Media’s original initiative. 

The initiative must receive 546,651 signatures in order to come before voters in November. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has until June 25 to determine if it reaches that threshold or qualifies for the ballot.

Common Sense put forward its original ballot initiative, the California Kids AI Safety Act, last fall, not long after the Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill the nonprofit had authored that contained similar provisions.

In response, in December 2025, OpenAI put forward a competing ballot measure that mirrors a bill that Newsom signed into law last October, requiring companion chatbot providers to enact a suicidal ideation protocol and inform people every three hours that they’re speaking with AI. Critics called that move manipulative and designed to thwart stronger protections for kids.

Common Sense Media research has found that seven in 10 teens have used companion chatbots and that the tech is too dangerous to be used by minors. In promoting its original ballot initiative, the group warned that without action the tech could lead to more harm and addiction for young people. In one well-publicized case, the parents of California teen Adam Raine sued OpenAI, alleging Raine was coached by OpenAI’s ChatGPT to commit suicide.

OpenAI’s willingness to compromise marks a contrast with how tech companies banded together to get their way in a policy fight in 2020. That year, major gig economy players like DoorDash, Instacart, Lyft, and Uber spent $200 million bankrolling a successful ballot initiative regulating gig work, Proposition 22. It effectively exempted them from a state law that would have required the companies to provide full employment benefits to their drivers.

Sen. Steve Padilla, the Chula Vista Democrat who carried the chatbot bill signed by Newsom, called the merged ballot measure a significant breakthrough. But he added that he thinks the matter should be handled by lawmakers and the governor instead of directly by voters. Since the ballot initiative would amend the state constitution, Padilla said it “would create an unnecessarily high-bar to revise and update that law in the future. Moreover, legislative hearings will provide the broader public an opportunity to comment and provide input on this important issue.” 

In recent weeks, Padilla has proposed a bill with a four-year moratorium on the sale of toys with companion chatbots inside. OpenAI signed a partnership with Barbie-maker Mattel but has yet to produce any products.

OpenAI’s fight at the California ballot box isn’t limited to kids’ online safety issues. One proposed ballot initiative would give a state commission the power to slow or stop AI model development if commission members suspect catastrophic risk of harm to Californians. Two other proposals target corporate conversions from nonprofit to for-profit companies, as OpenAI has planned. The initiatives compel nonprofits that restructure in such a way to dedicate all their assets to the public benefit of humanity. To reach that goal, the initiatives would create a commission that has the power to shut down AI models and that hosts competitions that invite the public to propose ways AI can help humanity. Under one of the initiatives, the commission would also have the power to revoke nonprofit conversions.

OpenAI was founded about a decade ago with a charter stating its purpose was to benefit humanity. Its plans to convert to a public benefit corporation led to heavy criticism from nonprofits and scrutiny by attorneys general in California and Delaware. Both states eventually reached agreements with OpenAI to allow a restructuring after the company agreed to place roughly 25% of its assets into a nonprofit.

The post OpenAI, childrens’ advocates join forces on initiative to protect kids from chatbots appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.