California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session
California AB 489
Health care professions: deceptive terms or letters: artificial intelligence.
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became law
Sponsors
- Bonta (Democratic)
Cosponsors (8)
- Addis (Democratic)
- Bains (Democratic)
- Berman (Democratic)
- Lowenthal (Democratic)
- Pellerin (Democratic)
- Wilson (Democratic)
- Ashby (Democratic)
- Weber Pierson (Democratic)
Summary
Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary
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.
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.
Text versions
- 10/11/25 - Chaptered· Oct 11, 2025
- 09/10/25 - Enrolled· Sep 10, 2025
- 07/08/25 - Amended Senate· Jul 8, 2025
- 06/16/25 - Amended Senate· Jun 16, 2025
- 04/10/25 - Amended Assembly· Apr 10, 2025
- 02/10/25 - Introduced· Feb 10, 2025
- AB489
Roll-call votes
State vote data last updated Oct 16, 2026, 4:04 AM.
| Date | Vote | Result | Your legislators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2025 House | AB 489 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Sep 4, 2025 Senate | Special Consent AB489 Bonta et al. By Weber Pierson | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Aug 29, 2025 Senate | Do pass | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Aug 18, 2025 Senate | Placed on suspense file | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Jul 15, 2025 Senate | Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Jun 23, 2025 Senate | Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Jun 2, 2025 House | AB 489 Bonta Assembly Third Reading | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| May 23, 2025 House | Do pass. | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Apr 22, 2025 House | Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar | pass | Set your home in California to see |
| Apr 1, 2025 House | Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Privacy and Consumer Protection] | pass | Set your home in California to see |
Actions
- Oct 11, 2025 · Legislature
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 615, Statutes of 2025. - Oct 11, 2025 · Legislature
Approved by the Governor. - Sep 15, 2025 · Legislature
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4:30 p.m. - Sep 8, 2025 · House
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3026.). - Sep 4, 2025 · House
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. - Sep 4, 2025 · Senate
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2521.). - Sep 2, 2025 · Senate
Ordered to special consent calendar. - Aug 29, 2025 · Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading. - Aug 29, 2025 · Senate
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29). - Aug 18, 2025 · Senate
In committee: Referred to suspense file. - Jul 16, 2025 · Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. - Jul 8, 2025 · Senate
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD. - Jun 23, 2025 · Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD. - Jun 16, 2025 · Senate
From 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. - Jun 11, 2025 · Senate
Referred to Coms. on B. P. & E.D. and JUD. - Jun 3, 2025 · Senate
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. - Jun 2, 2025 · House
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1832.) - May 27, 2025 · House
Read second time. Ordered to third reading. - May 23, 2025 · House
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23). - May 7, 2025 · House
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. - Apr 23, 2025 · House
From 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. - Apr 21, 2025 · House
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P. - Apr 10, 2025 · House
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended. - Apr 1, 2025 · House
From 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. - Apr 1, 2025 · House
Coauthors revised. - Mar 17, 2025 · House
Referred to Coms. on B. & P. and P. & C.P. - Feb 11, 2025 · House
From printer. May be heard in committee March 13. - Feb 10, 2025 · House
Read first time. To print.