SB-1146 • 2026

Advertisement claims: health-related consumer products and services: digital replicas and synthetic performers.

Crime Technology

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Gonzalez
Last action: 2026-04-21
Official status: Set for hearing April 27.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how individuals can bring civil actions, only that such actions are authorized.

Rules for Health Product Ads with AI Images

This law requires ads for health products or services using artificial intelligence (AI) images of doctors to clearly state that the image is not real and does not show a real doctor.

What This Bill Does

Requires ads showing AI-generated images of health care providers to include clear disclosures stating the image was made by AI and is not a real person.
Defines what it means for an image or video to 'identifiably depict' someone as a health care provider, like a doctor or nurse.

Who It Names or Affects

People who create or use AI-generated images of health care providers in advertisements for health products and services.
Consumers seeing ads that might include AI-generated images of doctors or other health professionals.
The Attorney General, district attorneys, and individuals whose digital replicas are used in such ads.

Terms To Know

Digital replica: An image, audio, or video that looks like a real person but is created using technology like artificial intelligence (AI).
Synthetic performer: A digital replica of someone who appears to be performing in an ad.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact penalties for breaking these rules, only that violators can face civil lawsuits.
It is unclear how this law will affect ads using AI images of health care providers outside California.

Bill History

2026-04-21 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 27.
2026-04-16 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-15 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 14).
2026-04-08 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 14.
2026-04-07 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 6). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2026-03-25 California Legislative Information
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P., D.T., & C.P.
2026-03-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 6.
2026-03-04 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on P., D.T., & C.P. and JUD.
2026-02-19 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 21.
2026-02-18 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 1146, as amended, Gonzalez.
Advertisement claims: health-related consumer products and services:
artificial intelligence.
digital replicas and synthetic performers.
Existing law makes it unlawful for any person doing business in California and advertising to consumers in California to make any false or misleading advertising claim.
Existing law makes it unlawful for healing arts licensees, as specified, to disseminate or cause to be disseminated any form of public communication containing a false, fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive statement, claim, or image in order to induce the provision of services or products in connection with their licensed professional practice or business. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions punishable as a misdemeanor and, in the case of a licensed person, provides that a violation constitutes unprofessional conduct and grounds for suspension or revocation of a license by the relevant board.
Existing law makes a person who produces, distributes, or makes available the digital replica, as defined, of a deceased personality’s voice or likeness in an expressive audiovisual work or sound recording without specified prior consent liable to any injured party in an amount equal to the greater of $10,000 or the actual damages suffered by a person controlling the rights to the deceased personality’s likeness, except as prescribed.
This bill would, subject to specified exceptions, require
a person who creates or causes to be created
an advertisement that
uses
includes
the image, audio, or video of a
person representing themselves to be, or identifiably depicting a person as,
digital replica or synthetic performer depicted as
a health care provider that is generated or substantially altered using artificial intelligence or other computer technology to promote the sale of a health-related consumer product or service to include a clear and conspicuous disclosure that the image, audio, or video, as applicable, of the person in the advertisement was generated or substantially altered by artificial intelligence and that
the person identifiably depicted is not a health care provider.
no human health care provider is depicted.
The bill would also define terms for its
purposes and would provide for factors that may be considered in determining whether a natural person is “identifiably depicted” in an electronic representation.
purposes.
This bill would authorize the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a natural person
identifiably depicted as a health care provider
whose digital replica is used
in an advertisement to bring a civil action to enforce these provisions, and would provide that a violation of the bill does not
constitute a misdemeanor.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF