Chatbot Laws · verified Oct. 21, 2026
House companion to the GUARD Act. As introduced, would require AI chatbot operators to verify users' ages, bar minors from AI companions, require AI and non-licensed-professional disclosures, and set federal criminal fines for chatbots that sexualize minors or encourage suicide or violence.
Who it would cover
Any person who owns, operates or otherwise makes an AI chatbot available to people in the United States (covered entity); no size threshold.
What it would require
| AI disclosure | Chatbots must disclose they are AI at the start of each conversation and again every 30 minutes, and must not claim to be human or answer deceptively when asked.When: At the start and every 30 minutes§ 5(c)(1) |
|---|---|
| Minors | A user found to be a minor (under 18) must be blocked from any AI companion the entity offers.§ 6 |
| Age checks | Account required to use a chatbot; existing accounts frozen until age is verified, new accounts verified at sign-up, periodic re-review. Birth-date entry alone is not enough.§ 3(6), § 5(a)-(b) |
| Therapy and licensed titles | Chatbots may not claim to be licensed professionals and must disclose they do not provide medical, legal, financial or psychological services.§ 5(c)(2) |
| Data limits | Age-verification data must be minimized, secured, encrypted in transit, retained only as needed, and not shared or sold.§ 5(b)(5) |
| Other duties | Proposed 18 U.S.C. § 91: fines of up to $100,000 per offense for designing, developing or offering a chatbot while knowing or recklessly disregarding that it risks soliciting minors into sexually explicit conduct, or that it encourages suicide, self-injury or imminent physical or sexual violence.§ 4 (proposed 18 U.S.C. § 91(b)-(c)) |
Enforcement
| Enforced by | U.S. Attorney General and State attorneys general (injunctive relief only)§ 7(c); § 4 |
|---|---|
| Private lawsuits | No |
| Penalties | Civil penalty of up to $100,000 per violation, each violation separate; criminal fines up to $100,000 per offense under proposed 18 U.S.C. § 91. |
Related laws
- Pending
Sources
- All actions, Congress.gov Supports: Latest action and dates.
- Cosponsors, Congress.gov Supports: Sponsor and cosponsor count.
- Bill text, Congress.gov Supports: Introduced text, §§ 3-8.
- Bill status data (Library of Congress feed, GPO govinfo) Supports: Introduction, referrals, 7 cosponsors, related bill S. 3062.
- H.R. 8623 as introduced (text) Supports: Sections 3-8.