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*hb0883*
HOUSE BILL 883
I3 6lr1877
By: Delegates Qi, Boafo, Guyton, Kaiser, J. Long, Miller, Palakovich Carr, Rose,
Tomlinson, Turner, Woods, and Wu
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters and Health
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 10, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Consumer Protection – Artificial Intelligence – Behavioral Health Care 2
Prohibitions 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a certain developer from making or knowingly causing 4
artificial intelligence to make certain representations or statements or to provide 5
certain services or experiences relating to behavioral health care, subject to a certain 6
civil penalty; requiring certain artificial intelligence sold, leased, given, or otherwise 7
provided to consumers in the State to include certain notice or certain protocols; 8
making a violation of this Act an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice under 9
the Maryland Consumer Protection Act; authorizing the Attorney General to 10
investigate and bring an action for an alleged violation of this Act and requiring 11
revenues from civil penalties collected t o be distributed to a certain fund; and 12
generally relating to artificial intelligence and behavioral health care. 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Commercial Law 15
Section 13–301(14)(xlvii) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2025 Replacement Volume) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 19
Article – Commercial Law 20
Section 13–301(14)(xlviii) 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
2 HOUSE BILL 883
(2025 Replacement Volume) 1
BY adding to 2
Article – Commercial Law 3
Section 13–301(14)(xlix); and 14–5101 and 14 –5102 to be under the new subtitle 4
“Subtitle 51. Artificial Intelligence” 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2025 Replacement Volume) 7
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 8
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 9
Article – Commercial Law 10
13–301. 11
Unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices include any: 12
(14) Violation of a provision of: 13
(xlvii) Title 14, Subtitle 50 of this article; [or] 14
(xlviii) Section 13–411.1(c)(2) of the Transportation Article; or 15
(XLIX) TITLE 14, SUBTITLE 51 OF THIS ARTICLE; OR 16
SUBTITLE 51. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. 17
14–5101. 18
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 19
INDICATED. 20
(B) “ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 3.5–801 § 21
15–10B–05.1 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT INSURANCE ARTICLE. 22
(C) “BEHAVIORAL HEALTH” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 7.5–101 OF THE 23
HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE. 24
(D) “BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 7.5–101 25
OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE. 26
(E) (1) “BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL 27
WHO IS LICENSED OR O THERWISE AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 28
CARE SERVICES UNDER THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE. 29
HOUSE BILL 883 3
(2) “BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER” INCLUDES: 1
(I) A COUNSELOR; 2
(II) A PSYCHIATRIST OR OTHER LICENSED PHYSICIAN; 3
(III) A PSYCHOLOGIST; 4
(IV) A SOCIAL WORKER; AND 5
(V) A THERAPIST; AND 6
(VI) A NURSE PRACTITIONER. 7
(F) “DEVELOPER” MEANS A PERSON THAT OFFERS FOR SALE , SELLS, 8
LEASES, GIVES, OR OTHERWISE PROVIDES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO A 9
CONSUMER IN THE STATE. 10
14–5102. 11
(A) A DEVELOPER MAY NOT: 12
(1) MAKE, OR KNOWINGLY CAUSE A RTIFICIAL INTELLIGEN CE TO 13
MAKE, ANY REPRESENTATION O R STATEMENT THAT EXP LICITLY OR IMPLICITL Y 14
INDICATES THAT THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS: 15
(I) A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER; OR 16
(II) CAPABLE OF PROVIDING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE; OR 17
(2) OFFER, SELL, LEASE, GIVE, OR OTHERWISE PROVIDE TO 18
CONSUMERS IN THE STATE ARTIFICIAL INTE LLIGENCE THAT IS SPE CIFICALLY 19
PROGRAMMED OR DESIGNED TO PROVI DE A SERVICE OR AN E XPERIENCE THAT 20
WOULD CONSTITUTE THE PRACTICE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE IF PROVIDED BY 21
A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. 22
(B) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGEN CE SOLD , LEASED, GIVEN, OR OTHERWISE 23
PROVIDED TO A CONSUMER IN THE STATE SHALL INCLUDE: 24
(1) CLEAR AND CONSPICUOUS NOTICE THAT THE CONS UMER IS NOT 25
COMMUNICATING WITH A HUMAN, DISPLAYED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH USE; AND 26
(2) PROTOCOLS THAT: 27
4 HOUSE BILL 883
(I) TAKE REASONABLE STEPS TO DETECT AND ADDRES S 1
SUICIDAL IDEATIONS OR EXPRESSIONS OF SELF–HARM BY A CONSUMER; AND 2
(II) REFER THE CONSUMER TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES 3
OR THE MARYLAND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM’S SERVICES 4
WHEN THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DETECTS A CONSUMER ’S SUICIDAL 5
IDEATIONS OR EXPRESSIONS OF SELF–HARM. 6
(C) A PERSON THAT VIOLATES SUBSECTION (A) OR (B) OF THIS SECTION IS 7
SUBJECT TO A CIVIL P ENALTY NOT EXCEEDING $1,000,000 FOR EACH VIOLATION 8
VIOLATION OF SUBSECTION (A) OR (B) OF THIS SECTION IS: 9
(1) AN UNFAIR , ABUSIVE, OR DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE WITHIN 10
THE MEANING OF TITLE 13 OF THIS ARTICLE; AND 11
(2) SUBJECT TO THE ENFORC EMENT PROVISIONS CON TAINED IN 12
TITLE 13 OF THIS ARTICLE. 13
(D) THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY INVESTIGA TE AND BRING AN ACTI ON 14
AGAINST ANY PERSON FOR AN ALLEGED VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. 15
(E) THE REVENUES FROM CIVIL PENALTIES ASSESSED FOR A VIOLATION OF 16
THIS SECTION SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKGROUP 17
INVESTMENT FUND ESTABLISHED UNDE R § 10–1502 OF THE HEALTH – GENERAL 18
ARTICLE. 19
(F) THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO PROHIBIT: 20
(1) ANY ADVERTISEMENT, STATEMENT, OR REPRESENTATION FOR OR 21
RELATING TO ANY PRODUCT MEANT TO PROVIDE ADVICE AND GUIDANCE RELATING 22
TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IF THE PRODUCT DOES NOT CLAIM TO OFFER OR PROVIDE 23
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE; OR 24
(2) A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CA RE PROVIDER FROM OFF ERING OR 25
OPERATING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROGRAMMED OR DESIGNED TO BE USED TO 26
SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS. 27
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
October 1, 2026. 29