AB-489 • 2026

Health care professions: deceptive terms or letters: artificial intelligence.

Crime Education Healthcare Labor Technology

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Bonta
Last action: 2025-10-11
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 615, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify who has the authority to punish violators, but mentions that violations would be subject to jurisdiction of appropriate health care profession boards.

Health Care Professions: Rules Against Fake AI Claims

AB-489 makes it illegal for artificial intelligence (AI) or generative AI (GenAI) to use terms that suggest the technology is a licensed health care professional.

What This Bill Does

Makes existing laws about using fake titles and letters in healthcare apply to AI and GenAI too.
Prohibits AI and GenAI from using words, letters, or phrases that make it seem like they are real doctors or other health professionals.
Says each time someone breaks this rule with AI or GenAI, it is a separate crime.

Who It Names or Affects

Healthcare providers and patients in California.
Companies that make or use AI and GenAI technology for healthcare purposes.

Terms To Know

Artificial Intelligence (AI): A type of computer system that can do tasks that usually need human intelligence, like understanding language or making decisions.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI): A kind of AI that creates new content based on what it has learned from existing data.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify when the rules will start.
It is unclear how much this law will cost to enforce or if there are any specific penalties for breaking it.

Bill History

2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 615, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-15 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4:30 p.m.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3026.).
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2521.).
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-18 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-16 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-08 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-06-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-06-16 California Legislative Information
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.
2025-06-11 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on B. P. & E.D. and JUD.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-02 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1832.)
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-05-07 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
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.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2025-04-01 California Legislative Information
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.
2025-04-01 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2025-03-17 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on B. & P. and P. & C.P.
2025-02-11 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.
2025-02-10 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 489, Bonta.
Health care professions: deceptive terms or letters: artificial intelligence.
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.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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