Bill would bar AI from supplanting clinicians' judgment in patient care

Assemblymember Banta presented AB 19 79 as a three‑part bill: protect licensed clinicians' ability to exercise professional judgment when clinical decision support (CDS) systems inform care; prohibit AI tools from guiding unlicensed people to perform licensed clinical functions; and extend confidentiality protections to medical records accessed by consumer‑facing health chatbots. Banta said the bill is intended to prevent the substitution of AI for clinicians at a time when workforce pressures could create incentives to rely on automation.

Catherine Kennedy, president of the California Nurses Association and a registered nurse of 46 years, testified the bill is about "patient safety, professional integrity, and preserving trust" and argued that clinical judgment cannot be reduced to an algorithm. Researcher Deb Raji warned that many AI systems are insufficiently tested and can fail in ways that harm patients, particularly marginalized populations, and urged careful adoption and monitoring. Several hospitals and trade groups said the committee amendments narrowed their concerns and many moved from opposed to neutral while work continues on definitions and implementation details.

Sponsors emphasized that the bill focuses on preserving human oversight and protecting patient data when AI is involved; several members praised the compromise in committee amendments while asking staff to keep working on the clinical definition and enforcement mechanisms. The committee did not take a final vote pending quorum.