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House passes bill to set guardrails for AI use in health‑care decisions
Summary
The House approved House Bill 11‑39 establishing disclosure and human‑oversight requirements for artificial‑intelligence systems used in utilization management and clinical decisions, and limiting AI from being the sole basis for denying care.
Lawmakers approved House Bill 11‑39 on March 12 to set statewide rules for certain uses of artificial intelligence in health care, requiring human review of denials and transparency about automated systems.
Sponsor Representative Joseph told the chamber the bill “establishes clear guidelines or guardrails for how artificial intelligence can be used in our health care system,” emphasizing that AI “cannot be used as a sole basis for denying or delaying care.” Joseph said denials based on medical necessity must be reviewed and approved by a licensed clinician.
The bill also includes provisions intended to curb deceptive use of automated mental‑health chatbots, prohibiting systems from misrepresenting themselves as licensed therapists and restricting payment for psychotherapy delivered solely by AI.
Floor debate focused on fine‑tuning definitions and preserving clinical judgment. Representative Brett Bradley, who said he voted no in committee, explained he later supported the bill after sponsors removed a provision he found problematic and added a petition clause to allow fixes. “There has to be a human component,” Bradley said, describing clinical examples where AI‑only decisions would be inappropriate.
Two technical amendments were adopted on the floor; the committee report was adopted and the measure passed on third reading.
