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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 2031
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE SCHMIDT .
4190H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o 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 "Childr en
2 Harmed by AI T echnology Act" or the "CHA T 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 pr ogram 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 scr een of a user that can be res olved 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 requ ire each individual accessing a companion AI
17 chatbot to make a user account in order to use or otherwise interact with such chatbot.
EXPLANA TION — 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.
18 4. (1) W ith res pect to each user account of a companion AI chatbot that exists as
19 of August 28, 2026, a covere d entity shall:
20 (a) On such date, fr eeze any such account;
21 (b) In order to res tor e the functionality of such account, r equir e that the user
22 pr ovide age information that is verifiable using a commer cially available method or
23 pr ocess that is re asonably 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 cr eates 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) V erify the individual's age using a commer cially available method or pro cess
29 that is reas onably designed to ensur e accuracy .
30 (3) If the age verification pro cess described in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this
31 subsection determines that a user is a minor , a cover ed entity shall:
32 (a) Require the account of such user to be affiliated with a par ental account,
33 which such cover ed entity has verified using a commer cially available method or pro cess
34 that is reas onably designed to ensur e accuracy;
35 (b) Obtain verifiable par ental consent fr om 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 cover ed entity shall pro tect the confidentiality of age information pr ovided
40 by a user for age verification by limiting the collection, process ing, use, and storage of
41 such information to what is strictly necessary to verify a user's age, obtain verifiable
42 par ental 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 freq uently than every sixty minutes during such interaction
45 ther eafter , a covered entity shall display to such user a clear pop-up that notifies the
46 user that they ar e 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 cover ed entities in complying with the
4 9 r equir ements of this section.
50 (2) In any enfor cement action brou ght under this section, the attorney general
51 shall allege a specific violation of a pr ovision of this section. The attorney general shall
52 not base an enforcem ent action on, or execute a consent order based on, practices that
53 ar e alleged to be inconsistent with any guidance issued by the attorney general with
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54 r espect to this section unless the practices ar e alleged to violate a prov ision 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 reas on to believe that an inter est
57 of the res idents of this state has been or is thr eatened or adversely affected by the
58 engagement of any person in a practice that violates this section, the attorney general, as
59 par ens patriae, may bring a civil action on behalf of the res idents of this state in a cir cuit
60 court of this state with appr opriate jurisdiction to:
61 (1) Enjoin that practice;
62 (2) Enfor ce compliance with the requ irem ents of this section;
63 (3) Obtain damages, r estitution, or other compensation on behalf of res idents of
64 this state; or
65 (4) Obtain such other rel ief as the court may consider to be appr opriate.
66 7. For purposes of bringing any civil action under subsection 6 of this section,
67 nothing in this section shall be construed to preven t the attorney general fro m exerci sing
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 prod uction of documentary and
73 other evidence.
74 8. A cover ed entity is deemed not liable for a violation of this section if the
75 cover ed entity demonstrates it has:
76 (1) Relied in good faith on age information pr ovided 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.
✔
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