California Enacts AI Clinical Judgment and Bias Safeguards for Healthcare
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1979 and SB 503 on Sept. 30, establishing new safeguards that protect physicians' and licensed providers' professional judgment when AI or clinical decision tools are used in patient care, and requiring AI developers to take reasonable steps to reduce known or predictable bias in those tools. The laws are part of a broader package addressing AI's role in workplaces and consumer protection. Newsom vetoed a related bill, AB 2575, which would have barred retaliation against healthcare workers who override unsafe AI recommendations; the California Nurses Association criticized the veto. The California Hospital Association said it no longer opposes AB 1979.
Hospitals, health plans, and providers using AI-driven clinical decision tools in California must now ensure bias mitigation and preserve clinician override authority, while the veto leaves workers without explicit protection from retaliation for exercising that judgment.
Managed Care
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