CaliforniaHealth care professions: deceptive terms or letters: artificial intelligence.
What it does
Existing law establishes various healing arts boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs that license and regulate various healing arts licensees. Existing laws, including, among others, the Medical Practice Act and the Dental Practice Act, make it a crime for a person who is not licensed as a specified health care professional to use certain words, letters, and phrases or any other terms that imply that they are authorized to practice that profession.
More detail
Existing law requires, with certain exemptions, a health facility, clinic, physician's office, or office of a group practice that uses generative artificial intelligence, as defined, to generate written or verbal patient communications pertaining to patient clinical information, as defined, to ensure that those communications include both (1) a disclaimer that indicates to the patient that a communication was generated by generative artificial intelligence, as specified, and (2) clear instructions describing how a patient may contact a human health care provider, employee, or other appropriate person. Existing law provides that a violation of these provisions by a physician shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, as appropriate.
This bill would make provisions of law that prohibit the use of specified terms, letters, or phrases to falsely indicate or imply possession of a license or certificate to practice a health care profession, as defined, enforceable against an entity who develops or deploys artificial intelligence (AI) or generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology that uses one or more of those terms, letters, or phrases in its advertising or functionality. The bill would prohibit the use by AI or GenAI technology of certain terms, letters, or phrases that indicate or imply that the advice, care, reports, or assessments being provided through AI or GenAI is being provided by a natural person with the appropriated health care license or certificate.
This bill would make a violation of these provisions subject to the jurisdiction of the appropriate health care profession board, and would make each use of a prohibited term, letter, or phrase punishable as a separate violation.
By expanding the scope of existing crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 11Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 615, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 11Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 15Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4:30 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 8Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3026.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 489 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 4In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded Special Consent AB489 Bonta et al. By Weber Pierson. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 4Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2521.).Passed Senate
- Sep 2Ordered to special consent calendar.
- Aug 29Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).Minor
- Aug 18In committee: Referred to suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 16From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 15
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 8From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 16From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B. P. & E.D.Major
- Jun 11Referred to Coms. on B. P. & E.D. and JUD.Minor
- Jun 3In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Jun 2Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1832.)Passed Assembly
- Vote recorded AB 489 Bonta Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 23From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- May 7In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Apr 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 22
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 21Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.Minor
- Apr 10From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 1). Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Privacy and Consumer Protection]. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 1Coauthors revised.
- Mar 17Referred to Coms. on B. & P. and P. & C.P.Minor
- Feb 11From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.
- Feb 10Read first time. To print.Introduced