AI Compliance Vendors

California · State AI law

California SB 1120 (Physicians Make Decisions Act)

Health Care Coverage: Utilization Review — AI Guardrails (Physicians Make Decisions Act)

In force

In force since 1 Jan 2025

Status checked 27 Sep 2026

What it covers

Health care service plans, disability insurers, and contractors using AI/algorithm tools for utilization review or utilization management. Medical necessity decisions must be made by a licensed clinician, not AI alone.

Penalties and enforcement

Maximum penalty
DMHC administrative penalties; CDI Insurance Commissioner penalties; willful violation by a health plan is a crime under Knox-Keene Act.
Who enforces it
California DMHC; California Department of Insurance (CDI)

Bill history

SB 1120 (signed Sep 28, 2024 — Gov. Newsom)

Primary source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov — SB 1120

For journalists

Use this in your story

Cite it

AI Compliance Vendors, "California SB 1120: Health Care Coverage: Utilization Review — AI Guardrails (Physicians Make Decisions Act)," State AI Law Tracker, last checked 27 Sep 2026, https://aicompliancevendors.com/state-ai-law-tracker/california-sb-1120

Free to quote and republish under CC BY 4.0 with a link. Spotted an error? Tell us — corrections are made in public.

Need more?

Embed the live status

The card re-checks itself every hour: day counts update, and it switches to “In force” on the effective date. If our scheduled re-check of this law is ever overdue, it says so instead of showing a status.

Style

Paste into an HTML or embed block. The script line is optional: it sizes the frame to fit; without it the frame uses a fixed height. Links point to aicompliancevendors.com.

Questions

Is California SB 1120 in effect?

Yes. California SB 1120 has been in force since 1 Jan 2025. Status last checked 27 Sep 2026.

Who enforces California SB 1120?

California DMHC; California Department of Insurance (CDI).

What are the penalties under California SB 1120?

DMHC administrative penalties; CDI Insurance Commissioner penalties; willful violation by a health plan is a crime under Knox-Keene Act.

Who does California SB 1120 apply to?

Health care service plans, disability insurers, and contractors using AI/algorithm tools for utilization review or utilization management. Medical necessity decisions must be made by a licensed clinician, not AI alone.

More from California

All California AI laws →

Related