The CHATBOT Act
April 28, 2026
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
Where This Stands
Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →The Frame
If passed, this bill would force AI companies to terminate existing accounts for users under 18 unless they obtain or establish new family-linked accounts, impacting how families access and manage AI tools.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
AI Chatbot Providers
Companies must implement new account verification systems, parental consent workflows, and data deletion protocols.
Parents and Legal Guardians
Parents gain the legal right to provide consent for teen access and must manage family accounts for children under 13.
Children and Teens
Users under 18 face potential account termination and new requirements for parental involvement to access AI services.
Current stage: in_committee.
Floor Vote.
Summary
Key Facts
- Requires 'covered entities' (AI chatbot providers) to mandate family accounts for users under 13.
- Requires verifiable parental consent before teens (ages 13-17) can create or maintain an AI chatbot account.
- Mandates the termination of existing accounts for children without family accounts and teens without parental consent upon the bill's effective date.
- Requires companies to immediately delete all personal data collected from terminated accounts.
- Grants users or parents a 90-day window to request a portable, readable copy of their personal data after an account is terminated.
- Defines 'artificial intelligence chatbot' to exclude scripted customer service, business operational tools, or educational instruction software.
- Requires a 'transparency label' to be displayed to users, disclosing that the chatbot is AI and not a human.
- Prohibits targeted advertising to children and teens based on personal data collected through the chatbot.
- Allows companies to retain minimal information necessary to prove compliance with the law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to all AI software?
What happens to my child's existing AI account?
Can I get my data back if an account is closed?
Why It Matters
If passed, this bill would force AI companies to terminate existing accounts for users under 18 unless they obtain or establish new family-linked accounts, impacting how families access and manage AI tools.
News Coverage
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of COPPA-style regulation
The bill extends the regulatory framework established by the 1998 Children's Online Privacy Protection Act specifically to the emerging field of generative AI chatbots.
Connected Entities
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment20Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz50Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools