Hawley Bill to Protect Children from AI Chatbots Gains New Cosponsors

Hawley Bill to Protect Children from AI Chatbots Gains New Cosponsors

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced additional cosponsors for the GUARD Act, his bipartisan legislation that would protect children from predatory AI chatbots. In addition to the GUARD Act's original cosponsors Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), Senator Hawley secured additional support for the GUARD Act from Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R- Utah) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

Senator Hawley's GUARD Act would ban AI companions for minors, mandate that AI chatbots disclose its non-human status, and create new crimes for companies that make AI for minors that solicit or produce sexual content. The legislation is gaining traction in the Senate as a bipartisan coalition works to protect the most vulnerable.

"AI chatbots are killing our kids. I'm thankful to see this issue gaining bipartisan momentum in the Senate," said Senator Hawley. "We must unite to ensure our children are protected from predatory AI chatbots."

"It's too easy for our children to gain access to AI bots that produce horrific content," said Senator Cotton. "Our bill will require companies to use proper age verification to ensure minors don't have access to AI-generated explicit content."

"AI chatbots with no safeguards pose real harm to our children. Parents should not have to wonder whether a digital tool in their home is manipulating or endangering their kids," said Senator Lankford. "The GUARD Act sets firm safety standards and prevents companies from giving minors access to unsafe AI systems. Families deserve that level of protection."

"AI chatbots can act like online predators, luring our kids into mental health issues and exploitation," said Senator Lee. "Parents want better tools and fewer threats to their families, and kids deserve protection from AI-perpetrated harm. The GUARD Act would criminalize targeting minors with fake AI companions and hold big tech accountable for lying to our children."

"Nearly three-quarters of all young people in our country are now turning to unregulated AI chatbots, with alarming consequences-in some cases, even encouraging kids to engage in behavior that can hurt themselves and others. And Big Tech isn't doing enough to address it," said Senator Welch. "The safety of our children must always come first. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation will hold Big Tech accountable and protect kids across the country from predatory chatbots."

In October, Senator Hawley hosted a press conference highlighting the tragic stories of children who received guidance from AI chatbots on how to harm themselves or end their life. Hawley was joined by the GUARD Act's initial cosponsors: Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

The GUARD Act has also received broad support from advocacy organizations, including the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, the National Parents Union, the Family Research Council, and more.

The GUARD Act would:

• Ban AI companies from providing AI companions to minors.
• Mandate that AI companions disclose their non-human status and lack of professional credentials for all users
• Create new crimes for companies which knowingly make available to minors AI companions that solicit or produce sexual content

Read the GUARD Act here.

Issues