CHATBOT Act Children’s Health, Advancement, Trust, Boundaries, and Oversight in Technology Act
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To President
- Became Law
Overview
This bill requires parental consent and family accounts before children and teens can use AI chatbots, giving parents control over their children's access to and use of artificial intelligence tools.
Why it matters: The legislation affirms parental authority over their children's digital experiences and the information they access, protecting parents' right to oversee their children's interactions with technology and online content.
Topic: Parental rights · classifier confidence 72%
What this changes
Creates a new law or program
Law today: The bill does not spell out the prior law. Currently, artificial intelligence chatbots are generally available to users of any age without specific parental consent or family account requirements.
If passed: If passed, the CHATBOT Act would require AI chatbot providers to create family account systems and obtain verifiable parental consent before children and teens can use their services. This would give parents direct oversight and control over their children's access to and use of AI chatbots, similar to parental controls on other digital platforms.
AI-generated from the bill text — verify against the official text.
Likely supporters & opponents
Likely support
- parental-rights and family-advocacy organizations — Parents should have the ability to monitor and control what AI systems their children interact with, protecting them from inappropriate content and potential harms.
- child-safety advocacy groups — Age-appropriate restrictions and parental consent requirements help prevent children from being exposed to manipulative or harmful AI interactions.
Likely opposition
- artificial-intelligence industry and tech companies — Mandatory family accounts and parental consent requirements would create operational burdens, reduce user growth, and complicate service delivery.
- digital-liberties and privacy advocates — Broad parental-consent and account-tracking requirements could compromise user privacy and create data security risks.
AI-inferred typical positions based on the bill’s substance — general stakeholder categories, not confirmed endorsements.
Should I support this?
Likely helpful for Christian families
The bill strengthens parental authority by requiring consent before children access AI chatbots and creating family account oversight tools—values that align with Christian parental rights and responsibility to protect and guide children's exposure to technology and content. However, implementation details on data security and scope would matter for a full assessment.
An AI assessment from a Christian-family perspective — religious freedom, parental rights, and freedom in education — not legal or voting advice.
Official summary
A bill to require the creation of family accounts for children to be able to use artificial intelligence chatbots, to require verifiable parental consent for teens using artificial intelligence chatbots, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
- Ted Cruz (R)
- Brian Schatz (D)
- John Curtis (R)
- Adam Schiff (D)
Status timeline
- 2026-08-05Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.S
- 2026-04-28Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.S
H = House · S = Senate · A = Assembly