Governor Newsom signs AB1864 into law, establishing enforceable gene synthesis screening and customer verification requirements in California.
Following·New·first covered 1 Oct 2026·2 sources
California Signs Gene Synthesis Biosecurity Law AB1864
The gist
The law creates enforceable standards where none previously existed for gene synthesis screening in California. Advocates argue it should serve as a model for equivalent federal and international standards.
The full picture
California Governor Newsom signed AB1864, which requires gene synthesis providers to screen orders and verify customers. The law converts previously voluntary biosecurity guidance from OSTP into an enforceable statutory requirement. Before AB1864, the existing framework was voluntary and relied on self-attestation with no mechanism for verification or enforcement.
How it developed
Sources
Dean Ball Twitter
Zvi's AI Roundups
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