AB 1979 Health care services: artificial intelligence

What happened

AB 1979 proposes requiring covered facilities, clinics and physician/group offices to take reasonable steps to preserve a licensed provider’s independent professional judgment when care is informed by clinical decision support. It would prohibit AI from independently performing a clinical function legally requiring a professional license or directing unlicensed personnel in that function. The proposal preserves a supervised training exception and the applicable licensing-board enforcement framework. For this covered week, those proposed controls are not reported as an enacted AI practice rule.

The text distinguishes clinical decision support from appointment management, reminders, education and payment activities to the extent their independent performance does not require licensure. It also excludes documentation and communication that does not apply professional judgment from the relevant section. Separate CMIA amendments would deem a business offering a defined healthcare chatbot for personal information management or diagnosis, treatment or condition management a healthcare provider for CMIA purposes only, with confidentiality and improper-disclosure consequences. That designation does not confer a professional license or make every general chatbot subject to the same rule regardless of purpose.

Why it matters

Clinical-function boundaries and medical-information obligations are separate questions that require the actual tool, use and business purpose to be assessed.

Sources

• AB 1979 Health care services: artificial intelligence, bill historyOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-04 · Source review 2026-09-10
• AB 1979 Health care services: artificial intelligence, current bill text (09/01/26 - Enrolled)Official · California Legislature · 2026-09-01 · Source review 2026-09-10