California Senate Bill 903 Targets AI Chatbot Therapy

AI therapy legislation California SB 903 chatbot advertising ban mental health AI

California lawmakers are advancing Senate Bill 903, a measure that would prohibit companies from advertising chatbots as a form of therapy and bar artificial‑intelligence systems from making therapeutic decisions without oversight by a licensed professional. The bill also requires health providers to disclose any use of AI tools in recording therapy sessions or triaging mental‑health care and to obtain patients' permission before such tools are employed.

The legislation, authored by Democratic Senator Steve Padilla of San Diego, is backed by professional associations representing psychologists, therapists and counselors, as well as the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which recently filed a complaint against Kaiser Permanent for allegedly using an automated algorithm in mental‑health triage. The push for regulation has intensified amid wrongful‑death lawsuits in California federal courts that allege AI chatbot makers contributed to users' suicides. Lawmakers note that AI‑driven chatbots are increasingly popular, with estimates that roughly one in eight teens and young adults turn to them for mental‑health support.

Entities

California · National Union of Healthcare Workers · Senate Bill 903 · Steve Padilla

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] Senator Steve Padilla authored SB 903 and said AI can be used for administrative purposes but not to practice psychotherapy. ww2.kqed.org · lookout.co
[● 2 SOURCES] Approximately one in eight teens and young adults use chatbots for mental‑health help. ww2.kqed.org · lookout.co
[● 2 SOURCES] SB 903 would require health providers to disclose and obtain patient permission before using AI tools to record therapy sessions or triage mental health care. ww2.kqed.org · lookout.co
[● 2 SOURCES] Professional associations representing psychologists, therapists and counselors back SB 903. ww2.kqed.org · lookout.co
[● 2 SOURCES] The National Union of Healthcare Workers supports SB 903 and filed a complaint against Kaiser Permanente for alleged use of an automated mental‑health triage algorithm. ww2.kqed.org · lookout.co
[● 2 SOURCES] Wrongful‑death lawsuits in California federal courts allege AI chatbot makers contributed to users' suicides. ww2.kqed.org · lookout.co
[● 2 SOURCES] SB 903 would prohibit AI from making therapeutic decisions without review by a licensed professional. ww2.kqed.org · lookout.co
[● 2 SOURCES] SB 903 would ban companies from advertising chatbots as therapy. ww2.kqed.org · lookout.co

Sources

AI “Therapists” Draw State Scrutiny as Mental Health Chatbot Use Surges [natlawreview.com]

8 days ago

As AI ‘Therapists’ Dish Out Advice, California Lawmakers Try to Set Some Limits | KQED [ww2.kqed.org]

7 days ago

As AI ‘therapists’ dish out advice, California lawmakers try to set some limits [lookout.co]

8 days ago