As Trump Pushes AI Therapy Bots, Licensed Professionals Urge Newsom to Sign Padilla's SB 903
SACRAMENTO – Thousands of licensed mental health professionals have signed a letter (attached) urging Governor Gavin Newsom to sign Senate Bill (SB) 903, authored by Senator Steve Padilla. This bill would protect individuals seeking therapy or psychotherapy services by prohibiting the advertisement of AI chatbots as “therapy” and setting common sense guardrails for AI use in mental health treatment. SB 903 passed the Senate unanimously and the Assembly with bipartisan support by a vote of 71 to 4 and now awaits Governor Newsom’s signature into law.
Despite concerns from experts about the safety of AI tools in mental health care, the Trump administration is moving to integrate AI agents that offer therapy and prescribe medicine into Medicare, with tech companies positioned to profit from the rollout.
"Thousands of the professionals caring for patients across California are all urging Governor Newsom with one voice “Sign this bill’," said Senator Padilla. "The Trump administration is listening to tech companies who want to put unlicensed chatbots in front of vulnerable patients to make a profit. California should be listening to the licensed clinicians who spent years training to do this work safely.”
In an industry as sensitive as mental health treatment, patients should be able to trust that decisions are being made by a trained and qualified licensed professional who undergo years of education and training; not an artificial algorithm that can be prone to bias, hallucinations, and sycophancy. This is why Senator Padilla partnered with organizations representing licensed professionals to ensure that professionals, patients, and standards of care are protected.
“Governor Newsom has made transforming California’s mental health system a defining priority of his administration, and SB 903 is an important part of that work,” said Scott Parker, Chief Executive Officer of the California Psychological Association. “As Californians increasingly encounter AI in mental health care, we have a responsibility to ensure innovation does not come at the expense of patient safety, clinical judgment, or the therapeutic relationship. We urge Governor Newsom to sign SB 903 and continue the legacy he has built as California’s Mental Health Governor.”
“The federal government is paying tech companies to put AI 'therapists' in front of Medicare patients with depression and anxiety, while industry leaders boast that one clinician will supervise thousands of bots,” said Ben Eichert, Public Policy Director of the National Union of Healthcare Workers. “Governor Newsom can answer that by signing SB 903 and guaranteeing that in California, therapy is delivered by a licensed human being.”
“California has an opportunity to demonstrate that innovation and consumer protection can advance together, and we urge Governor Newsom to sign SB 903 into law,” said Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Ph.D., CEO of the California Behavioral Health Association. “SB 903 strikes the right balance by establishing thoughtful safeguards for consumers while preserving space for responsible innovation and tools that can expand access to support. We are proud to sponsor this important legislation and look forward to seeing California continue to lead in shaping a behavioral health landscape where innovation is encouraged, consumers are protected, and technology complements the critical role of trained behavioral health professionals.”
“AI can be a remarkable clinical tool, but a tool is not a therapist,” said Joy Alafia, Executive Director as the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. “AI usage in health care is advancing faster than safety regulation can keep pace. SB 903 brings an important balance—embracing innovation while ensuring that mental health care remains accountable to a licensed provider. We urge Governor Newsom to sign SB 903 and protect Californians as these technologies continue to evolve.”
Senator Padilla is also the author of Adam’s Law, the most comprehensive digital protections for children interacting with AI companion chatbots in the United States, as well as the first-in-the-nation moratorium on the sale and manufacturing of toys with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot capabilities for children under 16 to allow safety regulations to be enacted.
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Steve Padilla represents the 18th Senate District, which includes the communities of Chula Vista, the Coachella Valley, Imperial Beach, the Imperial Valley, National City, and San Diego. Prior to his election to the Senate in 2022, Senator Padilla was the first person of color ever elected to city office in Chula Vista, the first Latino Mayor, and the first openly LGBT person to serve or be elected to city office. Website of Senator Steve Padilla: https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/