HOUSE BILL NO. 2031 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE SCHMIDT.
4190H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT To amend chapter 1, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to artificial intelligence chatbots.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 1, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be 2 known as section 1.2047, to read as follows: 1.2047. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Children 2 Harmed by AI Technology Act" or the "CHAT Act". 3 2. As used in this section, the following terms mean: 4 (1) "Companion AI chatbot", any software-based artificial intelligence system 5 or program that exists for the primary purpose of simulating interpersonal or emotional 6 interaction, friendship, companionship, or therapeutic communication with a user; 7 (2) "Covered entity", any person that owns, operates, or otherwise makes 8 available a companion AI chatbot to individuals in this state; 9 (3) "Minor", any person under eighteen years of age; 10 (4) "Pop-up", a visible notification on the screen of a user that can be resolved if 11 interacted with by the user; 12 (5) "Sexually explicit communication", any content, conversation, or material 13 that describes, depicts, or encourages sexually explicit conduct; 14 (6) "Sexually suggestive communication", any oral, written, or behavioral action 15 with sexual undertones that implies sexual intent. 16 3. A covered entity shall require each individual accessing a companion AI 17 chatbot to make a user account in order to use or otherwise interact with such chatbot.
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language. HB 2031 2
18 4. (1) With respect to each user account of a companion AI chatbot that exists as 19 of August 28, 2026, a covered entity shall: 20 (a) On such date, freeze any such account; 21 (b) In order to restore the functionality of such account, require that the user 22 provide age information that is verifiable using a commercially available method or 23 process that is reasonably designed to ensure accuracy; and 24 (c) Using such age information, classify each user as a minor or an adult. 25 (2) At the time an individual creates a new user account to use or interact with a 26 companion AI chatbot, a covered entity shall: 27 (a) Request age information from the individual; and 28 (b) Verify the individual's age using a commercially available method or process 29 that is reasonably designed to ensure accuracy. 30 (3) If the age verification process described in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this 31 subsection determines that a user is a minor, a covered entity shall: 32 (a) Require the account of such user to be affiliated with a parental account, 33 which such covered entity has verified using a commercially available method or process 34 that is reasonably designed to ensure accuracy; 35 (b) Obtain verifiable parental consent from the holder of the account before 36 allowing a minor to access and use the companion AI chatbot; and 37 (c) Block the minor's access to any companion AI chatbot that engages in a 38 sexually explicit communication or sexually suggestive communication. 39 (4) A covered entity shall protect the confidentiality of age information provided 40 by a user for age verification by limiting the collection, processing, use, and storage of 41 such information to what is strictly necessary to verify a user's age, obtain verifiable 42 parental consent, or maintain compliance records. 43 (5) At the beginning of any interaction between a user and a companion AI 44 chatbot, and not less frequently than every sixty minutes during such interaction 45 thereafter, a covered entity shall display to such user a clear pop-up that notifies the 46 user that they are not engaging in dialogue with a human counterpart. 47 5. (1) No later than one hundred eighty days after August 28, 2026, the attorney 48 general shall issue guidance to assist covered entities in complying with the 49 requirements of this section. 50 (2) In any enforcement action brought under this section, the attorney general 51 shall allege a specific violation of a provision of this section. The attorney general shall 52 not base an enforcement action on, or execute a consent order based on, practices that 53 are alleged to be inconsistent with any guidance issued by the attorney general with HB 2031 3
54 respect to this section unless the practices are alleged to violate a provision of this 55 section. A person may use such guidance as evidence of compliance with this section. 56 6. In any case in which the attorney general has reason to believe that an interest 57 of the residents of this state has been or is threatened or adversely affected by the 58 engagement of any person in a practice that violates this section, the attorney general, as 59 parens patriae, may bring a civil action on behalf of the residents of this state in a circuit 60 court of this state with appropriate jurisdiction to: 61 (1) Enjoin that practice; 62 (2) Enforce compliance with the requirements of this section; 63 (3) Obtain damages, restitution, or other compensation on behalf of residents of 64 this state; or 65 (4) Obtain such other relief as the court may consider to be appropriate. 66 7. For purposes of bringing any civil action under subsection 6 of this section, 67 nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the attorney general from exercising 68 the powers conferred on the attorney general to: 69 (1) Conduct investigations; 70 (2) Serve civil investigative demands; 71 (3) Administer oaths or affirmations; or 72 (4) Compel the attendance of witnesses or the production of documentary and 73 other evidence. 74 8. A covered entity is deemed not liable for a violation of this section if the 75 covered entity demonstrates it has: 76 (1) Relied in good faith on age information provided by a user of the companion 77 AI chatbot for purposes of verifying the age of such user; 78 (2) Complied with the guidance described in subsection 5 of this section; and 79 (3) Reasonably conformed to widely accepted industry standards or best 80 practices for age verification and applied those standards or best practices consistently 81 and in good faith. ✔
Statutes affected: