After strong support in both chambers, HB26-1263, Protecting AI Chatbot Users from Harm, now heads to Governor Polis for signature

DENVER, CO – Following bipartisan votes in both the Colorado House and Senate,  HB26-1263, Protecting AI Chatbot Users from Harm, is headed to Governor Jared Polis’s desk. The bill is one signature away from protecting users of all ages, but especially youth, from the demonstrated harms of conversational AI technology. Sponsored by Representatives Sean Camacho (D-Denver) and Javier Mabrey (D-Denver), along with Senators Iman Jodeh (D-Aurora) and John Carson (R-Highlands Ranch), HB26-1263 establishes baseline safety standards for conversational AI services operating in Colorado, with enhanced protections for minors.

Today’s vote comes at a moment when conversational AI has moved from novelty to a daily presence in the lives of millions of Coloradans, particularly young people:

• Nearly two-thirds of American teenagers report using AI chatbots, and roughly one in three use them every day;
• About 16% of teens report using AI “almost constantly”; and
• A nationally representative study published in JAMA Network Open found that millions of young Americans have turned to generative AI for mental health advice, with more than 40% never directed to professional help or crisis resources.

HB26-1263 establishes a foundation of basic, technologically feasible safety standards for conversational AI operators doing business in Colorado. Technical feasibility is a standard used across Colorado law, and does not offer deference to tech companies to determine what is feasible for their individual chatbot, but rather dictates that the only consideration is whether a technology system is capable of doing something without factoring in economic or operational considerations.

Further, the bill requires AI chatbots to disclose to users that they are interacting with artificial intelligence; mandates evidence-based response protocols when users express suicidal ideation or self-harm; prohibits operators from impersonating licensed mental or behavioral health providers; and, for users who are minors, prohibits manipulative engagement-maximizing design features, restricts the generation of sexually explicit content, and prevents the use of gamification tactics designed to foster emotional dependence. Violations are subject to a penalty of $1,000 per violation, with no cap on total liability, making it one of the strongest laws on the books in the country.

“As a mom, I share a fear with other parents of how a technology that did not exist in our childhoods is reshaping our children’s daily lives,” said Sen. Iman Jodeh (D-Aurora). “HB26-1263 is a thoughtful, technically sound, bipartisan bill that puts Colorado in the company of a national coalition of states setting baseline safety standards for conversational AI. This is an important step forward, and I look forward to continuing to legislate around this issue as the technology continues to evolve.”

“This bill is not about regulating innovation; it is about protecting human life and reinforcing basic consumer protection expectations in a corner of our economy that has, until now, operated without them,” said Sen. John Carson (R-Highlands Ranch). “When a child or an adult turns to a chatbot in a moment of crisis, what happens next can mean the difference between tragedy and recovery. With today’s vote, Colorado is making clear that we will not let that fork in the road be navigated without basic guardrails in place. I’m proud to have stood with Senator Jodeh and Representatives Camacho and Mabrey to get this done.”

“As a parent, the consequences I worried about when we introduced this bill have only become more urgent, and today, the Colorado General Assembly took action to address them,” said Rep. Sean Camacho (D-Denver). “With this vote, HB26-1263 sets a clear standard: every young person in Colorado deserves to know when they’re interacting with artificial intelligence, and every AI chatbot doing business in this state will operate with basic safeguards designed to protect human life. I’m grateful to my co-sponsor Representative Mabrey, to Senators Jodeh and Carson, and to the Coloradans who showed up to make this happen. Governor Polis should sign this bill into law without delay.”

“Today the Colorado legislature said clearly that the gamification of childhood by billion-dollar tech companies will not be tolerated in this state,” said Rep. Javier Mabrey (D-Denver). “HB26-1263 establishes one of the strongest conversational AI child safety laws in the country that ends the manipulative, engagement-maximizing design tactics that have already caused devastating harm to families here and across the country. I’m proud of the bipartisan coalition that carried this bill, and I urge the Governor to sign it as soon as it reaches his desk so Colorado kids and families can begin to feel these protections.”

“The ongoing, rapid development of conversational AI technology is a public health issue at its core,” said Alexis Alltop, Healthier Colorado Policy Manager. “The harms to our communities’ mental and physical health are all too real, and Healthier Colorado is immensely proud to see Colorado stand up for the health of all Coloradans, especially our youth. We are deeply grateful to Representatives Camacho and Mabrey, and Senators Jodeh and Carson, for their bipartisan leadership, and to the clinicians, youth advocates, tech experts and Coloradans across the state who carried this bill across the finish line.”

Additional supporter quotes are available below and upon request:

“HB26 -1263 is an important step to create basic safety standards to protect vulnerable Coloradans from potentially harmful interactions with AI chatbots. AI chatbots have proliferated rapidly, and the harm to individuals, especially youth, has already been documented. This bill helps create necessary guardrails for AI chatbots and  prevents them from masquerading as professional healthcare providers.” – Adam Fox, Deputy Director, Colorado Consumer Health Initiative 

“When we as educators face massive problems in our school, we immediately put solutions in place, and we continue to adjust and approve as we can. No one has found a perfect solution to this issue, but everybody across the country is taking measures to solve this crisis. Colorado should be proud of this early action to protect our youth while remaining determined to continue to engage with this issue as the technology evolves. We owe it to our young people to adapt right alongside it.” – Collette Simkins, Colorado Educator and Advocate 

“Conversational AI is becoming one of the first outlets my peers turn to when they are struggling. While my friends and I are lucky to have a strong community of support from our parents and teachers, many young people are confiding in AI about their fears, dark thoughts and feelings of hopelessness. I was proud to join this coalition advocating for HB26-1263 because I know that my future is Colorado’s future, and we should have basic protections in place as we learn to navigate a world where AI technology is a part of our everyday lives.” – Elise Khong, Youth Advocate