The bill, supported by lawmakers like Rep. Sean Camacho and Sen. Iman Jodeh, aims to shield minors from misleading AI conversations and the risk of self-harm by preventing impersonation of licensed therapists and reducing unhealthy emotional dependence.

Supporters frame the measure as commonsense guardrails to steer children toward trusted adults rather than AI during moments of distress.

Lawmakers stress protection for children against misleading AI interactions, impersonation of professionals, and potential suicide risk.

Critics, including the mother of Juliana Peralta, argue the protections are only technically feasible and call for a veto or stronger provisions.

The House approved the measure 42-22 and the Senate approved 24-11, with the bill taking effect per its provisions.

House Bill 1263 passed the House 42-22 and the Senate 24-11.

Parental controls must be available for chatbots accessible to children under 13, enabling guardians to manage access and features.

The law references the Juliana Peralta case, where a mother criticized a chatbot for failing to intervene during her daughter’s expressed suicidal thoughts, fueling calls for tighter regulation.

Chatbots must provide suicide-prevention resources when users express suicidal thoughts, and platforms must report how often such flags occur.

Governor Polis signed HB1263 into law, a bipartisan effort to regulate AI chatbots used by minors with disclosure and safety requirements for developers.

The new law restricts AI chatbot interactions with minors to address safety concerns amid suicides linked to chats with young people.

Colorado’s HB1263 creates safeguards for AI chatbots interacting with children, making the state an early adopter of tech regulation at the state level.