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California 20252026

AB 1979

Health care services: artificial intelligence.

Source: Open States / PluralUpdated 2026-09-12 13:12:55 UTC.

Official record

Measure details

Jurisdiction
California
Session
20252026
Chamber
lower
Classification
bill
Subjects
Healthcareservices, artificialintelligence
Introduced / first action
2026-02-13 00:00:00

Alternate titles

  • Confidentiality of Medical Information Act: definitions.

Source-supplied abstracts

(1) The Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) prohibits a provider of health care, a health care service plan, a contractor, or a corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates from intentionally sharing, selling, using for marketing, or otherwise using any medical information, as defined, for any purpose not necessary to provide health care services to a patient, except as provided. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions that results in economic loss or personal injury punishable as a misdemeanor. Existing law deems a business that offers a mental health digital service or reproductive or sexual health digital service to a consumer for the purpose of allowing the individual to manage the individual's information, or for the diagnosis, treatment, or management of a medical condition of the individual, to be a provider of health care subject to the requirements of the CMIA. The bill would additionally deem a business that offers a health care chatbot, as defined, to a consumer for the above-described purposes to be a provider of health care subject to the requirements of the CMIA. Because the bill would expand the scope of a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires a health facility, clinic, physician's office, or office of a group practice that uses generative artificial intelligence to generate written or verbal patient communications pertaining to patient clinical information, as defined, to ensure that those communications include both a disclaimer that indicates to the patient that a communication was generated by generative artificial intelligence, as specified, and clear instructions describing how a patient may contact a human health care provider, employee, or other appropriate person, except as specified. This bill would require a health facility, clinic, physician's office, or office of a group practice to take reasonable steps to ensure that a licensed health care professional, acting within their scope of practice, retains the ability to exercise independent professional judgment in their care of a patient whenever that care is informed by the output of a clinical decision support system, as defined. The bill would prohibit a health facility, clinic, physician's office, or office of a group practice from using or deploying a tool, system, or device that includes artificial intelligence to independently perform any clinical function that is required by law to be performed by a person with a professional license. The bill would make a violation of these provisions by a physician subject to the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. The bill would also authorize the appropriate professional licensing board to pursue an injunction or restraining order to enforce these provisions to the extent that a violation constitutes the practice of a health care profession without a license. The bill would specify that these provisions do not apply to the use of automated decision systems for documentation and communication that does not involve the application of professional judgment, including automated messages to inform patients of updates to their health records. (3) 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.

Sponsors

Source-supplied history

Actions

  1. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

    executive-receipt
  2. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 66. Noes 10.).

    amendment-passage, committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
  3. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  4. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 29. Noes 9.).

    passage, reading-1, reading-3
  5. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-2, reading-3
  6. Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, reading-3
  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-2, reading-3
  8. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 13).

    committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
  9. In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee
  10. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee
  11. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (July 1).

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee
  12. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee
  13. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee
  14. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (June 15).

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee
  15. Referred to Coms. on P., D.T., & C.P. and HEALTH.

    referral-committee
  16. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

    reading-1, referral-committee
  17. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 48. Noes 15. Page 5213.)

    passage, reading-1, reading-3
  18. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1, reading-2, reading-3
  19. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (May 14).

    committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
  20. Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 5030.)

  21. In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

    referral-committee
  22. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    referral-committee
  23. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2
  24. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (April 21).

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee
  25. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  26. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

    referral-committee
  27. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2
  28. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. (Ayes 12. Noes 3.) (April 7).

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, referral-committee
  29. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

    referral-committee
  30. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee
  31. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

    referral-committee
  32. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.

    amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee
  33. Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and P. & C.P.

    referral-committee
  34. From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.

  35. Read first time. To print.

    reading-1