SB 690: Current Text and Legislative Posture

A primary-source reading of the July 2, 2026 amended bill: what it changes, what it no longer changes, and why older summaries are obsolete.

Status as of July 20, 2026

SB 690 is active, not enacted. The official California Legislature history records that the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee passed the bill as amended on July 1, 2026 (14–0). The Assembly amended it on July 2 and re-referred it to Assembly Appropriations.

That primary record controls over older articles describing the bill as a 2025 “two-year bill” or as stalled. The bill still must clear Assembly Appropriations and the Assembly floor, return to the Senate for concurrence if needed, and reach the Governor before it can become law.

Bill: SB 690 (Caballero), 2025–2026 Regular Session
Current bill text: official Legislature text
Public hearing record: CalMatters Digital Democracy

The July 2 amendment matters

Earlier versions would have changed several CIPA provisions and created a broader “commercial business purpose” framework. The current July 2 version removes those proposed changes to Penal Code §§ 631, 632, and 632.7.

The operative current proposal instead amends the civil-remedy provision, Penal Code § 637.2, for a defined subset of claims:

An action against a private actor for a violation of Section 638.51 alleged to arise from conduct on an internet website, online application, or mobile application may be brought only by the Attorney General.

The quoted language is from the official bill text. It is reproduced here only to describe the pending bill, not to give legal advice.

What the pending version would affect — if enacted

Provision	Current July 2 proposal
§ 638.51 website/app pen-register claims	Would route the defined private action through Attorney General enforcement only. The bill also includes an express two-year look-back for pending claims, subject to whatever constitutional and judicial interpretation follows.
§ 631 website-wiretap claims	Not changed by the current version. The § 631 changes from earlier text were removed.
§ 632 / § 632.7 recording or interception claims	Not changed by the current version.
Criminal provisions	The current site does not represent that SB 690 changes the underlying criminal provisions.

Why this belongs in the ledger

Demand-letter reporting describes both § 631 and § 638.51 theories. SB 690’s current text would address only the § 638.51 website/app private-action lane. It would not erase the distinction between a CIPA § 631 theory and a § 638.51 theory, and it would not itself resolve any pending case.

Nonpartisan caution about scope

This page relies on the official bill text and history for its statements about the bill. Commentary from law firms, industry groups, consumer advocates, and compliance vendors is useful for locating questions, but it is not used here to establish current statutory text or status. The site will update this page when the Legislature posts a new version or an official action changes the bill’s posture.