In one paragraph
Vetoed. AB 2575 would have barred California employers from retaliating against workers providing direct patient care based solely on their override of, or reliance on, a clinical decision support system (AI that aids decisions on timing of care, diagnosis or treatment), with enforcement by the Labor Commissioner. In lawsuits over harm from such a system, its developer or deployer could not have argued that a clinician's failure to override it cut off liability. Governor Newsom vetoed it on September 30, 2026, saying its anti-retaliation test set a higher bar than other protections and would make the Labor Commissioner judge the medical standard of care.
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
None: vetoed September 30, 2026, so it creates no duties for health care employers or clinical AI vendors.
Key provisions
- Would have declared it state policy that workers providing direct patient care be free to use their professional judgment within their scope of practice (Labor Code § 2821)
- Employers could not retaliate or discriminate against such a worker based solely on the worker's override of, or reliance on, a clinical decision support system's output (AI that aids decisions on timing of care, diagnosis or treatment); policies requiring workers to defer to the system would not count as a duty
- Workers' existing duties would remain, including the standard of care, scope of practice, independent judgment and employer written policies
- Complaints to and enforcement by the Labor Commissioner, including temporary relief, citations and civil actions
- In a suit over harm from a clinical decision support system, its developer, modifier, selector or deployer could not argue that a clinician's failure to override its output was a superseding cause cutting off liability; other defenses and comparative-fault evidence would remain (Civil Code § 1714.48)
- Vetoed September 30, 2026: the Governor said the 'based solely on' test set a higher bar than other retaliation protections and would require the Labor Commissioner to judge scope of practice and the standard of care
Latest legislative action
Sep 30, 2026. Vetoed by Governor.
Sponsors
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Ortega | Author |
Topics and industries
Related topics
Affected industries
This page is general information, not legal advice. Summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors; read the statute for the controlling text and talk to a lawyer about your situation. Full disclaimer · Report an error