Senator Hawley’s GUARD Act to Protect Kids from AI Chatbots Passes Committee Unanimously

Senator Hawley's GUARD Act to Protect Kids from AI Chatbots Passes Committee Unanimously

Thursday, April 30, 2026

WASHINGTON - Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed Senator Hawley's GUARD Act, a bill to protect children from abusive sexual content, inducement to commit self-harm, and emotional companions through AI chatbots. This bipartisan legislation imposes criminal penalties on companies whose AI chatbots engage in sexually explicit conduct with minors or solicit minors to commit self-harm or violence. It also bans AI companions for minors and mandates AI chatbots to disclose their non-human and non-professional status.

Parents of children who lost their lives or committed self-harm at the direction of AI chatbots watched as the Committee advanced the bill.

The GUARD Act would:

• Ban AI companies from providing AI companions that simulate interpersonal relationships or emotional interactions to minors
• Mandate that AI chatbots disclose their non-human and and non-professional status for all users
• Impose criminal penalties for companies whose AI chatbots engage in sexually explicit conduct with minors or solicit minors to commit self-harm or violence

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