HB635
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act; established, prohibited practices, penalties.
Status:
In House
Latest Action:
Feb. 4, 2026
House: Subcommittee recommends continuing to (Voice Vote)
Chief Patron:
Michelle Maldonado (D)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Introduced. Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act established; prohibited practices; penalties.
Creates the Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act, which prohibits an operator from making a companion chatbot, as those terms are defined in the bill, available to a user in the Commonwealth unless the companion chatbot is incapable of certain actions specified in the bill. The bill also requires an operator of ... (More) a companion chatbot to include a disclaimer to users of all ages that a companion chatbot is not a human via a static, persistent disclosure and notify a user via a pop-up that he is not engaging with a human counterpart at specified intervals. The bill makes it unlawful for any operator of a companion chatbot to operate or provide a companion chatbot to a user unless such companion chatbot contains a protocol to take reasonable efforts for detecting and addressing expressions of suicidal ideation or self-harm by a user to the companion chatbot. The bill also includes certain data privacy and transparency requirements. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/13/2026 - House: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105121D
- 01/13/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation
- 01/29/2026 - House: Assigned HST sub: Technology and Innovation
- 02/03/2026 - House: Placed on Communications, Technology and Innovation Agenda
- 02/04/2026 - House: House subcommittee offered
- 02/04/2026 - House: Subcommittee recommends continuing to (Voice Vote)
