SB 579 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Mental health and artificial intelligence working group.

Summary

Existing law establishes the Government Operations Agency, which consists of several state entities, including, among others, the State Personnel Board, the Department of General Services, and the Office of Administrative Law. Under existing law, the Government Operations Agency is under the direction of an executive officer known as the Secretary of Government Operations, who is appointed by, and holds office at the pleasure of, the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. This bill would require the secretary, by July 1, 2026, to appoint a mental health and artificial intelligence working group, as specified, that would evaluate certain issues to determine the role of artificial intelligence in mental health settings. The bill would require the working group to take input from various stakeholder groups, including health organizations and academic institutions, and conduct at least 3 public meetings. The bill would require the working group to produce a report of its findings to the Legislature by July 1, 2028, and issue a followup report by January 1, 2030, as specified. The bill would repeal its provisions on July 1, 2031.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/26/25 - Amended Senate → SB579 · 2 edits

MINOR

SB 579 was amended in two substantive ways: it broadened the working group's membership requirement from 'mental health professionals' to 'behavioral health professionals' with a new consultation and specialty-experience condition, and it expanded the scope of risks the group must evaluate to explicitly include AI chatbots and AI that impersonates mental health professionals. These changes make the working group more inclusive in its expertise base and more targeted in its risk assessment.

ELIGIBILITY

Section (b)(1) changed the four professional appointees from 'mental health professionals' to 'behavioral health professionals selected in consultation with mental health provider professional organizations,' and added a requirement that at least one of them works in specialty mental health services serving individuals with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, or substance abuse disorder.

SCOPE

Section (a)(3) expanded the list of AI risks the working group must evaluate to explicitly include 'artificial intelligence chatbots, and other artificial intelligence intended to promote mental health or impersonate a mental health professional,' going beyond the prior general language about reliance on automated systems, privacy concerns, and unintended consequences.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

upper

Mar 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Mar 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0. Page 531.) (March 25).

upper

Mar 5, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on G.O.

upper

Feb 20, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors