CAAB 2656passed chamber
Public employees: notice: artificial intelligence performing service within scope of work.
AB 2656 would require certain California state and local public employers to provide written notice to recognized employee organizations at least 45 days before taking any action to develop, purchase, implement, or utilize generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to perform a service within the scope of work of a represented job classification. The bill adds Section 3558.10 to the Government Code and builds on existing GenAI accountability frameworks established by Executive Order N-12-23 and the 2024 Generative Artificial Intelligence Accountability Act.
Legal practitioners advising public sector employers or employee organizations should note that this bill creates a procedural obligation tied to GenAI deployment decisions, potentially triggering meet-and-confer or bargaining obligations under existing public employment relations law. The 45-day notice window may affect procurement timelines and contract structures for AI vendors working with public agencies. Attorneys handling labor relations, public contracts, or technology procurement in the public sector will need to monitor how 'scope of work' is interpreted and whether disputes over notice compliance generate administrative or litigation activity.
Track this bill →CAAB 2575passed chamber
Health care services: artificial intelligence.
AB 2575 would impose new requirements on California health facilities, clinics, and physician offices that use clinical decision support systems (CDSS) in patient care. The bill mandates written disclosures to health care workers about any deployed CDSS, including developer details, intended use, known limitations, and validation processes. It affirms workers' right to override CDSS outputs using professional judgment, prohibits employer retaliation for such overrides, and bars defendants from asserting that a worker's failure to override a CDSS constitutes a superseding cause severing liability for patient harm.
Legal practitioners tracking AI health care liability will find AB 2575 significant on several fronts. The Civil Code amendment directly shapes tort litigation strategy by eliminating a superseding cause defense for CDSS developers, modifiers, and deployers. The Labor Code provisions create a new retaliation complaint pathway before the Labor Commissioner, opening potential employment claims. The Health and Safety Code disclosure mandates impose compliance obligations with specific timelines, including 90-day advance notice requirements, creating potential exposure for facilities that fail to meet them. The bill passed its chamber and warrants close monitoring as it advances.
Track this bill →RIHB 7350dead
AN ACT RELATING TO COMMERCIAL LAW--GENERAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS -- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANION MODELS
Rhode Island HB 7350 would have established a regulatory framework for AI companion systems — AI tools designed to simulate ongoing personal relationships with users. The bill required operators to implement safety protocols for detecting suicidal ideation or expressions of harm, with mandatory referrals to crisis services upon detection. Operators would also have been required to notify users at session start and every three hours that they are not communicating with a human. Annual safety reporting to the Attorney General would have been required beginning July 1, 2027, with civil penalties up to $15,000 per day for violations.
Legal practitioners advising AI companion platform operators should note that while HB 7350 died in the Rhode Island legislature, its provisions signal emerging regulatory priorities in this space. The bill's definitions — particularly the three-part test distinguishing AI companions from customer service or productivity tools — offer a framework that may reappear in future legislation. Attorneys should monitor similar bills in other states, as crisis-intervention mandates, disclosure requirements, and AG enforcement authority are recurring themes. Compliance counsel may wish to assess whether existing client platforms would fall within or outside the bill's definitional scope.
Track this bill →