I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7218 
To require artificial intelligence chatbots to implement age verification meas-
ures and establish certain protections for minor users, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 22, 2026 
Mr. LAWLER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To require artificial intelligence chatbots to implement age 
verification measures and establish certain protections 
for minor users, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Children Harmed by 
AI Technology Act’’ or the ‘‘CHAT Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Trade Commission. 
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(2) COMPANION AI CHATBOT.—The term ‘‘com-
panion AI chatbot’’— 
(A) means any software-based artificial in-
telligence system or program that exists for the 
primary purpose of simulating emotional inter-
action, friendship, companionship, or thera-
peutic communication with a user; and 
(B) does not include the following: 
(i) A bot that is used only for cus-
tomer service, a business operational pur-
pose, productivity and analysis related to 
source information, internal research, or 
technical assistance. 
(ii) A bot that is a feature of a video 
game and is limited to replies related to 
the video game that cannot discuss topics 
related to mental health, self-harm, sexu-
ally explicit conduct, or maintain a dia-
logue on other topics unrelated to the video 
game. 
(iii) A stand-alone consumer electronic 
device that functions as a speaker and 
voice command interface, acts as a voice- 
activated virtual assistant, and does not 
sustain a relationship across multiple inter-
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actions or generate outputs that are likely 
to elicit emotional responses in the user. 
(3) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘covered en-
tity’’ means any person that owns, operates, or oth-
erwise makes available a companion AI chatbot to 
individuals in the United States. 
(4) MINOR.—The term ‘‘minor’’ means any in-
dividual that has not attained 18 years of age. 
(5) POPUP.—The term ‘‘popup’’ means a visible 
notification on the screen of a user that can be re-
solved if interacted with by the user. 
(6) SEXUALLY
EXPLICIT
COMMUNICATION.— 
The term ‘‘sexually explicit communication’’ includes 
any content, conversation, or material that describes, 
depicts, or encourages sexually explicit conduct, as 
defined in paragraph (2)(B) of section 2256 of title 
18, United States Code. 
(7) SUICIDAL IDEATION.—The term ‘‘suicidal 
ideation’’ means, with respect to an interaction be-
tween a minor and a companion AI chatbot, any dia-
logue in which such minor expresses thoughts of 
self-harm or suicide. 
SEC. 3. COVERED ENTITY OBLIGATIONS. 
(a) CREATION OF USER ACCOUNTS.—A covered enti-
ty shall require each individual accessing a companion AI 
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(c) MINOR ACCOUNT PROTECTIONS.—If the age 
verification process described in subsection (b) determines 
that a user is a minor, a covered entity shall— 
(1) require the account of such user to be affili-
ated with a parental account, which such covered en-
tity has verified using a commercially available 
method or process that is reasonably designed to en-
sure accuracy; 
(2) obtain verifiable parental consent from the 
holder of the account before allowing a minor to ac-
cess and use the companion AI chatbot; 
(3) immediately inform the holder of the paren-
tal account of any interaction involving suicidal idea-
tion; and 
(4) block the minor’s access to any companion 
AI chatbot that engages in sexually explicit commu-
nication. 
(d) 
CONFIDENTIALITY
OF
AGE
VERIFICATION 
DATA.—A covered entity shall protect the confidentiality 
of age information provided by a user for age verification 
by limiting the collection, processing, use, and storage of 
such information to what is strictly necessary to verify a 
user’s age, obtain verifiable parental consent, or maintain 
compliance records. 
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(e) MONITORING FOR SUICIDAL IDEATION.—A cov-
ered entity shall monitor companion AI chatbot inter-
actions for suicidal ideation and, in response to any such 
interaction, provide to the user and the parental account 
affiliated with such user appropriate resources by pre-
senting contact information for the National Suicide Pre-
vention Lifeline. 
(f) NOTIFICATION OF ARTIFICIAL CHATBOT.—At the 
beginning of any interaction between a user and a com-
panion AI chatbot, and not less frequently than every 60 
minutes during such interaction thereafter, a covered enti-
ty shall display to such user a clear popup that notifies 
the user that they are not engaging in dialogue with a 
human counterpart. 
SEC. 4. COMPLIANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall issue 
guidance to assist covered entities in complying with the 
requirements of this Act. 
(b) LIMITATION.—In any enforcement action brought 
pursuant to this Act, the Commission shall allege a spe-
cific violation of a provision of this Act. The Commission 
may not base an enforcement action on, or execute a con-
sent order based on, practices that are alleged to be incon-
sistent with any guidance issued by the Commission with 
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respect to this Act, unless the practices are alleged to vio-
late a provision of this Act. A person may use such guid-
ance as evidence of compliance with this Act. 
SEC. 5. ENFORCEMENT. 
(a) ENFORCEMENT BY THE COMMISSION.— 
(1) UNFAIR
OR
DECEPTIVE
ACTS
OR
PRAC-
TICES.—A violation of this Act or a regulation pro-
mulgated under this Act shall be treated as a viola-
tion of a rule defining an unfair or deceptive act or 
practice under section 18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal 
Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 57a(a)(1)(B)). 
(2) POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 
enforce this Act in the same manner, by the 
same means, and with the same jurisdiction, 
powers, and duties as though all applicable 
terms and provisions of the Federal Trade 
Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were in-
corporated into and made a part of this Act. 
(B) PRIVILEGES
AND
IMMUNITIES.—Any 
person who violates this Act or a regulation 
promulgated under this Act shall be subject to 
the penalties and entitled to the privileges and 
immunities provided in the Federal Trade Com-
mission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.). 
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(C) AUTHORITY PRESERVED.—Nothing in 
this section shall be construed to limit the au-
thority of the Commission under any other pro-
vision of law. 
(b) ENFORCEMENT BY STATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.— 
(A) CIVIL ACTIONS.—In any case in which 
the attorney general of a State has reason to 
believe that an interest of the residents of that 
State has been or is threatened or adversely af-
fected by the engagement of any person in a 
practice that violates this Act, the State, as 
parens patriae, may bring a civil action on be-
half of the residents of the State in a district 
court of the United States of appropriate juris-
diction to— 
(i) enjoin that practice; 
(ii) enforce compliance with the re-
quirements of this Act; 
(iii) obtain damages, restitution, or 
other compensation on behalf of residents 
of the State; or 
(iv) obtain such other relief as the 
court may consider to be appropriate. 
(B) NOTICE.— 
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(i) IN GENERAL.—Before filing an ac-
tion under subparagraph (A), the attorney 
general of the State involved shall provide 
to the Commission— 
(I) a written notice of that ac-
tion; and 
(II) a copy of the complaint for 
that action. 
(ii) EXEMPTION.— 
(I) IN
GENERAL.—Clause (i) 
shall not apply with respect to the fil-
ing of an action by an attorney gen-
eral of a State under this subsection 
if the attorney general determines 
that it is not feasible to provide the 
notice described in that clause before 
the filing of the action. 
(II) NOTIFICATION.—In an ac-
tion described in subclause (I), the at-
torney general of a State shall provide 
notice and a copy of the complaint to 
the Commission at the same time as 
the attorney general files the action. 
(2) INTERVENTION.— 
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(A) IN
GENERAL.—On receiving notice 
under paragraph (1)(B), the Commission shall 
have the right to intervene in the action that is 
the subject of the notice. 
(B) EFFECT
OF
INTERVENTION.—If the 
Commission intervenes in an action under para-
graph (1), it shall have the right— 
(i) to remove the action to the appro-
priate district court of the United States; 
(ii) to be heard with respect to any 
matter that arises in that action; and 
(iii) to file a petition for appeal. 
(3) CONSTRUCTION.—For purposes of bringing 
any civil action under paragraph (1), nothing in this 
Act shall be construed to prevent an attorney gen-
eral of a State from exercising the powers conferred 
on the attorney general by the laws of that State 
to— 
(A) conduct investigations; 
(B) administer oaths or affirmations; or 
(C) compel the attendance of witnesses or 
the production of documentary and other evi-
dence. 
(4) ACTIONS
BY
THE
COMMISSION.—In any 
case in which an action is instituted by or on behalf 
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of the Commission for a violation of this Act, no 
State may, during the pendency of that action, insti-
tute an action under paragraph (1) against any de-
fendant named in the complaint in that action for 
such violation. 
(5) VENUE; SERVICE OF PROCESS.— 
(A) VENUE.—Any action brought under 
paragraph (1) may be brought in— 
(i) the district court of the United 
States that meets applicable requirements 
relating to venue under section 1391 of 
title 28, United States Code; or 
(ii) a State court of competent juris-
diction. 
(B) SERVICE OF PROCESS.—In an action 
brought under paragraph (1), process may be 
served in any district in which the defendant— 
(i) is an inhabitant; or 
(ii) may be found. 
SEC. 6. SAFE HARBOR. 
A covered entity is deemed not liable for a violation 
of this Act if the covered entity demonstrates it has— 
(1) relied in good faith on age information pro-
vided by a user of the companion AI chatbot for 
purposes of verifying the age of such user; 
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(2) complied with the guidance described in sec-
tion 4; and 
(3) reasonably conformed to widely accepted in-
dustry standards or best practices, or to standards 
or best practices identified by the Commission, for 
age verification and applied those standards or best 
practices consistently and in good faith. 
SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act shall take effect on the date that is 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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