Bill > HB1993

This bill establishes comprehensive regulations for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in mental health therapy within Pennsylvania. The legislation defines key terms such as AI, generative AI, therapeutic communication, and consent, and sets strict guidelines for how mental health professionals can utilize AI in their practice. Under the bill, AI can only be used for administrative support (like scheduling) or supplementary support (such as record-keeping and anonymized data analysis), but cannot engage in direct therapeutic communication or make independent clinical decisions. Mental health professionals must obtain explicit, informed written consent from patients before using AI in recorded therapy sessions, and AI providers are prohibited from representing their systems as capable of providing therapy or acting as mental health professionals. The bill mandates that mental health professionals maintain full responsibility for all AI-assisted interactions and outputs, and forbids AI from generating treatment recommendations, detecting emotions, or directly interacting with clients. Violations of these provisions will be considered unprofessional conduct and can result in disciplinary action under existing professional licensing laws. The bill explicitly excludes religious counseling, peer support, and public self-help resources from its regulations and will take effect 60 days after passage.

Labor and Employment

https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb1993