Governor's Veto of AB 2575 Leaves Nurses Vulnerable in AI Decisions

The Veto of AB 2575 and Its Impact on Nursing Practices

Governor Gavin Newsom's recent veto of AB 2575 has sparked significant debate, as it leaves nurses vulnerable to disciplinary actions when they choose to override unsafe artificial intelligence (A.I.) systems to ensure patient safety. This decision has raised concerns that healthcare workers may be unfairly held accountable when technology-related errors occur.

Sandy Reding, RN and president of the California Nurses Association, expressed her frustration, stating, "The governor knows A.I. should never replace a nurse's clinical judgment, but he vetoed the bill that would have protected us for using our judgment. That makes no sense to any nurse at the bedside. Today, a nurse who sees that the algorithm is wrong and acts to save her patient can still be disciplined or fired by her employer.”

AB 2575, introduced by Assemblymember Liz Ortega and supported by the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, aimed to safeguard healthcare professionals' rights to exercise clinical judgment. The bill sought to prevent retaliation against healthcare workers who override unsafe A.I. recommendations and to ensure that responsibility for any harm caused by these technologies would not be unfairly shifted onto the workers.

A 2024 survey conducted by the CNA involving over 2,000 registered nurses revealed that two-thirds felt automated acuity scores did not align with their professional assessments of patient care needs. Despite these findings, hospitals continue to employ A.I. tools in efforts to reduce costs and expedite care, often sidelining patient needs.

Assemblymember Liz Ortega emphasized the importance of human oversight in healthcare decisions, stating, "Californians want a nurse, not a robot, making the final call. AB 2575 would have guaranteed that, and I will keep fighting until every Californian has that protection."

Lorena Gonzalez, President of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, voiced her disappointment over the bill's veto. "No machine can replace the judgment, compassion, or human touch of a nurse. We are deeply disappointed the governor vetoed an urgent bill that would have ensured skilled, qualified healthcare professionals have oversight over A.I. in hospitals to do what’s best for their patients. When it comes to deployment of A.I. in healthcare, we need to trust the workers on the frontlines. We are committed to bringing this bill back next year. Human control and oversight of AI in healthcare is a matter of life and death."

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United represents a substantial body of over 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities across California, with over 225,000 registered nurses nationwide, making it the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the country.

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