Recent Legislative Changes
2025 LEGISLATIVE ADVISORY
The Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board (Board) would like to notify you of legislative changes that may impact your practice and/or the profession. Unless otherwise specified, these changes are effective January 1, 2026.
Assembly Bill (AB) 45 (Bauer-Kahan) Privacy: health data: location and research.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 134, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill prohibits geofencing, or selling or sharing personal information with a third party to geofence an entity that provides in-person health care services in California for purposes specified in the bill, and prohibits the use of personal information obtained in violation of these geofencing provisions. The bill provides that a statement signed under penalty of perjury that the personal information will not be used for selling or sharing personal information in violation of these geofencing provisions is prima facie evidence that the personal information was not sold or shared in violation of these geofencing provisions. The bill provides that violators are subject to an injunction and liable for a civil penalty assessed and recovered in a civil action brought by the Attorney General, and deposited in the California Reproductive Justice and Freedom Fund. This bill excludes any person that owns, operates, manages, or otherwise provides services to an in-person health care entity from geofencing the entity's own location to provide necessary health care services as specified in the bill.
Impact on Licensees: Licensees who provide in-person health care services in California cannot geofence their own locations except for what is exempt by the law, nor allow a third party to geofence their location. The use of personal information obtained in violation of these geofencing provisions can be subject to an injunction and liable for a civil penalty assessed and recovered in a civil action brought by the Attorney General.
AB 82 (Ward) Health care: legally protected health care activity.
Status: 10/13/2025-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 679, Statutes of 2025.
Summary: This bill redefines "reproductive health services" to "designated health care services" and includes gender-affirming health care services. The bill expands current address confidentiality and online privacy laws for reproductive health services providers, employees, volunteers, and patients who face threats or violence because of their work for a public entity to providers, employees, volunteers, and patients of gender-affirming health care services as defined by law. The bill makes related and conforming changes, and incorporate additional changes proposed by other bills.
Impact on Licensees: Licensees who provide gender-affirming health care services and face threats or violence because of their work for a public entity as defined by the law can protect the confidentiality of their home addresses by means of the address confidentiality program operated by the Secretary of State. The use of personal information or image of a gender-affirming health care services provider, employee, volunteer, or patient who face threats or violence is prohibited on the internet or social media.
AB 144 (Committee on Budget) Health.
Status: 9/17/2025-Approved by the Governor. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 105, Statutes of 2025.
Summary: This bill exempts health care practitioner licensed in another state, territory, or country from licensure, certification, or registration requirements if they have been invited by the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Committee) to provide professional services within their scope of licensure, certification, or registration at Olympic and Paralympic activities. The bill requires the Committee to provide DCA information specified by the law about the health care practitioner which will be forwarded to the applicable licensing entity. The bill removes the exemption if a request is made by the DCA on behalf of an applicable licensing entity. The bill specifies requirements in the event the consent of the parent, guardian, or legal representative of a team member cannot be obtained, and prohibits a person and prohibits on behalf of an applicable licensing entity. The bill does not exempt health care practitioners licensed in another state, territory, or country who engage in the practice of pharmacy or pharmacy audit.
Impact on Licensees: No impact on licensees. Health care practitioners licensed in another state, territory, or country are exempt from licensure, or registration requirements if they are invited to provide professional services at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They will be required to provide the Board information of their participation and the Board can request a health care practitioner from not being exempted.
AB 489 (Bonta) Health care professions: deceptive terms or letters: artificial intelligence.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 615, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill prohibits the use of terms, letters, or phrases that indicate or imply possession of a license to practice a health care profession without at that time having the appropriate license required for that practice or profession by a person or entity who develops or deploys a system or device that uses one or more of those terms, letters, or phrases in the advertising or functionality of an artificial intelligence (AI) or a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) program, device, or similar technology. This bill also prohibits the use of terms, letters, or phrases in the advertising or functionality of an AI or GenAI system, program, device, or similar technology that indicates or implies that the care, advice, reports, or assessments being offered through the AI or GenAI technology is being provided by a natural person in possession of the appropriate license to practice as a health care professional. The bill makes this violation subject to the jurisdiction of the appropriate health care profession board, and would make each use of a prohibited term, letter, or phrase punishable as a separate violation. The bill also permits the authority for a health care professional licensing board or enforcement agency to pursue an injunction or restraining order to enforce these provisions as authorized by Business and Professions Code (BPC) section 125.5, and any remedy otherwise authorized under the law.
Impact on Licensees: Licensees who use AI or GenAI technology cannot use AI or GenAI that uses one or more terms, letters, or phrases that indicates or implies that (1) it possess a license or registration to practice a health care profession, or (2) the care, advice, reports, or assessments being offered through the AI or GenAI technology is being provided by a natural person in possession of the appropriate license or registration to practice as a health care professional. The Board can pursue an injunction or restraining order as authorized by BPC section 125.5, and any remedy otherwise authorized under the law brought by the Board for the use of prohibited term, letter, or phrase.
AB 784 (Hoover) Special education: specialized deaf and hard-of-hearing services.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 44, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill prohibits provisions from being construed to prohibit an individualized education program from including specialized deaf and hard-of-hearing related services as the only services.
Impact on Licensees: Licensees can include deaf and hard-of-hearing related services as the only services in an individualized education program.
AB 1327 (Aguiar-Curry) Home improvement and home solicitation: right to cancel contracts: notice.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 348, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill requires that a notice of cancellation of a home solicitation contract or offer to also be delivered by email and requires the seller to include in the contract an address and email address to which the notice of cancellation is to be sent and a telephone number of a support line to assist the buyer with locating and completing the notice of cancellation. This bill makes conforming changes for home improvement contracts, and incorporates additional changes proposed by other bills.
Impact on Licensees: Licensees providing a notice of cancellation of a home solicitation contract or offer must also include an email address to which the notice of cancellation can be sent and a telephone number to assist the buyer with locating and completing the notice of cancellation.
Senate Bill (SB) 81 (Arreguin) Health and care facilities: information sharing.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 123, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: To take effect immediately as an urgency statute, this bill revises the definition of "medical information" to include immigration status, including current and prior immigration status, and place of birth. This bill defines "immigration enforcement" to mean any and all efforts to investigate, enforce, or assist in the investigation or enforcement of any federal civil immigration law and federal criminal immigration that penalizes a person's presence in, entry or reentry to, or employment in, the United States. The bill additionally requires that a provider of health care, health care service plan, or contractor disclose medical information regarding a patient of the provider of health care or an enrollee or subscriber or a health care service plan without first obtaining an authorization if the disclosure is compelled by a court order issued by a valid state or a federal court order, and a valid search warrant issued by a judicial officer to a governmental law enforcement agency as long it does not interfere with California law. The bill prohibits a provider of health care, health care service plan, contractor, or corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates from disclosing medical information for immigration enforcement except to the extent expressly authorized by a patient, enrollee, or subscriber, or as otherwise required by law. This bill requires health care provider entities to establish or amend procedures for monitoring and receiving visitors to health care provider entities, and encourage them to post a "notice to authorities" at facility entrances. This bill requires health care provider entity personnel to notify health care provider entity management, administration, or legal counsel of any request for access to a health care provider entity site or patient for immigration enforcement, review of health care provider entity documents, especially for immigration enforcement. The bill requires a health care provider entity to designate areas where patients are receiving treatment or care or where a patient is discussing protected health information as nonpublic, and encourage to designate these areas through mapping, signage, key entry, policy, or a combination of those. The bill prohibits a health care provider entity and its personnel from allowing access to the nonpublic areas of the facility for immigration enforcement purposes unless required by state or federal law or a valid judicial warrant or court order that specifically grants access to the nonpublic areas of the facility. The bill requires a health care provider entity and its personnel to have the denial of permission for access to nonpublic areas of the facility witnessed and documented by at least one health care provider entity personnel, and requires health care provider entities to inform staff and relevant volunteers on how to respond to requests relating to immigration enforcement that grants access to health care provider entity sites or to patients. This bill defines "health care provider entity" and "immigration enforcement" for the purposes of these provisions. The bill prohibits a health care provider entity and its personnel from allowing access to nonpublic areas of the provider's facilities for immigration enforcement without a valid judicial warrant or court order to the extent permitted by state and federal law, and require health care provider entities to inform staff and relevant volunteers on how to respond to requests relating to immigration enforcement that grants access to health care provider entity sites or to patients. The bill does not prohibit a person who is in lawful custody from being accompanied to access health care services and for their transportation and arrangement to health care provider entities, and does not prohibit any person from entering nonpublic areas of a hospital to receive care for themselves or someone in their care or custody. The bill applies to all health care provider entities that receive public funding, and all other health care provider entities that are not subject to this bill are encouraged to adopt the requirements specified in this bill. The bill requires health care provider entities to comply with the requirements contained in the bill within 45 days from the effective date of the bill.
Impact on Licensees: Licensees are prohibited from disclosing medical information regarding immigration status as defined by the law except for what is exempt by the law. Licensees who operate a health care provider entity as defined by the law and receive public funding are required to (1) establish or amend procedures for monitoring, documenting, and receiving visitors for immigration enforcement, and (2) designate areas where patients are receiving treatment or care, or where a patient is discussing protected health information, as nonpublic.
SB 82 (Umberg) Contracts: consumer goods and services: dispute resolution provisions.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 350, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill limits the dispute resolution terms and conditions to the use, payment, or provision of the good, service, money, or credit provided by the consumer use agreement. The bill makes a waiver of these provisions void and unenforceable, and requires that the provisions be liberally construed for the purpose of protecting consumers. The bill provides that the duties and obligations it imposes are cumulative with, and do not limit or expand, duties and obligations imposed under any other law, and do not limit any rights or remedies under any other law. The bill defines terms for purposes of these provisions.
Impact on Licensees: Licensee who use a dispute resolution terms and conditions in a consumer use agreement shall be limited to the use, payment, or provision of the good, service, money, or credit provided by that consumer use agreement. Any waiver of these provisions is void and unenforceable.
SB 294 (Reyes) The Workplace Know Your Rights Act.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 667, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill establishes the Workplace Know Your Rights Act, which requires an employer to provide a stand-alone written notice to each current employee, each new employee upon hire, and an employee's authorized representative, if any, of workers' rights information specified in the Act in a manner specified in the Act after the Labor Commissioner posts a template notice on its internet website, and every year thereafter. This bill requires an employer to notify the designated emergency contact if the employee is arrested or detained on their worksite if the employee has designated an emergency contact for this purpose and, if the arrest or detention occurs during work hours or the performance of the employee's job duties but not on the worksite, only if the employer has actual knowledge of the arrest or detention of the employee is the employer required to notify the designated emergency contact. This bill prohibits an employer from discharging, threatening to discharge, demoting, suspending, or in any manner discriminating or retaliating against an employee for exercising or attempting to exercise their rights under the Act. The bill provides that an employer who violates the provision under this Act may be subject to a civil penalty per employee.
Impact on Licensees: Licensees who are employers must comply with the provisions specified in the law known as the Workplace Know Your Rights Act. A template of the required notice will be provided by the Labor Commissioner. Any violation of this act is enforced by the Labor Commissioner.
SB 402 (Valladares) Health care coverage: autism.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 413, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill defines "qualified autism service provider," "qualified autism service professional," and "qualified autism service paraprofessional" in the Business and Professions Code. The bill also makes technical and conforming changes, and incorporates additional changes proposed by other bills.
Impact on Licensees: No impact on licensees. No requirements were changed as a result of this bill.
SB 446 (Hurtado) Data breaches: customer notification.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 319, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill requires that data breach disclosure be made within 30 calendar days of discovery or notification of the data breach and permit an individual or business to delay the disclosure to accommodate the legitimate needs of law enforcement or to determine the scope of the breach and restore the reasonable integrity of the data system. This bill also requires an individual or business that is required to issue the security breach notification to more than 500 California residents as a result of a single breach of the security system to electronically submit a single sample copy of that security breach notification, excluding any personally identifiable information, to the Attorney General within 15 calendar days of notifying affected consumers of the security breach.
Impact on Licensees: Licensees who conduct business in California must disclose any data breach within 30 calendar days of discovery or notification of the data breach. The notification may be delayed for the reasons stated in the law. Licensees must submit a single sample copy of the notification to the Attorney General within 15 calendar days of notifying affected consumers if the security breach required notifying more than 500 California residents.
SB 470 (Laird) Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act: teleconferencing.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 222, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill extends the additional, alternative set of provisions under which a state body may hold a meeting by teleconference through January 1, 2030.
Impact on Licensees: No impact on licensees. The Board may continue to choose to conduct teleconference meetings using the additional, alternative set of provisions that were established under SB 544 (Laird, Chapter 212, Statutes of 2023).
SB 497 (Wiener) Legally protected health care activity.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 764, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: To take effect immediately as an urgency statute, this bill prohibits a provider of health care, a health care service plan, or a contractor from releasing medical information related to a person seeking or obtaining gender-affirming health care in response to any subpoena or request, including a foreign subpoena, based on another state's law that interferes with an individual's right to seek or obtain gender-affirming health care, or authorizes a person to bring a civil or criminal action against a person receiving gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care. The bill also prohibits a provider of health care, health care service plan, contractor, or employer from cooperating with or providing medical information to an individual, agency, or department from another state or, to the extent permitted by federal law, to a federal law enforcement agency that would identify an individual and that is related to an individual seeking or obtaining gender-affirming health care that is lawful under the laws of this state. The bill does not prohibit the release of such medical information for purposes specified in the bill. The bill also makes technical and conforming changes, and incorporates additional changes proposed by other bills.
Impact on Licensees: Licensees cannot release medical information related to a person seeking or obtaining gender-affirming health care except for what is exempt by the law.
SB 744 (Cabaldon) Accrediting agencies.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 425, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill requires national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education as of January 1, 2025, to retain that recognition until July 1, 2029, provided that the accrediting agency continues to operate in substantially the same manner as it did on January 1, 2025. The bill repeals those provisions on January 1, 2030, and makes technical and conforming changes.
Impact on Licensees: No impact on licensees. The Board may accept applications with educational institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency that is no longer recognized by the United States Department of Education as of January 1, 2025, if the accrediting agency operates in substantially the same manner as it did on January 1, 2025. This is effective until July 1, 2029.
SB 861 (Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development) Consumer affairs.
Status: This bill was approved by the Governor and chaptered by Secretary of State (Chapter 592, Statutes of 2025.)
Summary: This bill replaces gendered pronouns with non-gendered pronouns and replace the Board's former name with its current name. The bill makes nonsubstantive technical changes for other boards and bureau under the jurisdiction of the Department of Consumer Affairs. The bill makes conforming changes, and incorporate additional changes proposed by other bills.
Impact on Licensees: No impact on licensees. No requirements were changed as a result of this bill.
