Senate Introduces CHATBOT Act to Give Parents Control Over Children AI Interactions

--- headline: "Senate Introduces CHATBOT Act to Give Parents Control Over Children's AI Interactions" slug: chatbot-act-senate-children-ai category: policy story_number: "12" date: 2026-04-30 sources: - name: Senate Commerce Committee url: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/press/rep/release/cruz-schatz-curtis-schiff-introduce-new-bill-giving-parents-control-over-kids-ai-chatbot-use/ - name: Roll Call url: https://rollcall.com/2026/04/30/ban-on-kids-companion-chatbots-advanced-by-senate-committee/ - name: Roll Call url: https://rollcall.com/2026/04/29/family-accounts-would-be-mandated-for-kids-in-chatbots-bill/ - name: Senator Brian Schatz url: https://www.schatz.senate.gov/news/press-releases/schatz-cruz-introduce-new-bill-to-protect-kids-on-ai-chatbot-platforms - name: Axios url: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/28/congress-ramps-up-bipartisan-ai-efforts - name: The Hill url: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5858006-senate-panel-advances-bill-to-curb-ai-chatbot-companions-for-kids/ ---

A bipartisan group of senators is moving to put parents back in the driver's seat when it comes to their children's use of AI chatbots, introducing sweeping legislation that would force technology companies to create family accounts, limit manipulative design features, and ban targeted advertising aimed at minors. The bill arrives as Congress mounts its most aggressive push yet to regulate how artificial intelligence interacts with young users, and as grieving families demand accountability from companies whose products they say have harmed their children.

The CHATBOT Act -- the Children's Health, Advancement, Trust, Boundaries, and Oversight in Technology Act -- was introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) alongside Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), John Curtis (R-UT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA). Its bipartisan sponsorship reflects a rare consensus in Washington that the rapid proliferation of AI chatbots has outpaced the guardrails meant to protect the most vulnerable users.

"The rapid development of sophisticated chatbots has left many parents in the dark as powerful AI systems enter children's lives," Cruz said in a statement. The legislation, he added, "ensures America leads in deploying AI safely and responsibly."

What the Bill Would Do

The CHATBOT Act centers on a family account framework designed to give parents visibility into and control over their children's interactions with AI systems. For children under 13, family accounts would be mandatory. For teenagers, the accounts would be optional, though AI companies would still need to obtain verifiable parental consent before a teen could create their own chatbot account.

Under the proposed law, parents would be able to review conversation logs, set time limits, control privacy settings, and monitor how their children are using AI tools. The bill also targets the design tactics that critics say companies use to keep young users hooked: parents would have the ability to disable rewards and engagement incentives, turn off push notifications and alerts, and block financial transactions conducted through chatbot platforms.

Beyond parental controls, the legislation takes aim at data practices. AI companies would be prohibited from using minors' personal data for targeted advertising. Chatbot providers would also be required to make clear disclosures that users are interacting with artificial intelligence, not a human being.

A Companion Effort: The GUARD Act

The CHATBOT Act is not arriving in isolation. On the same day it was introduced, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 22-0 to advance the GUARD Act, a separate bill led by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) that takes a more aggressive approach. Where the CHATBOT Act focuses on parental tools and transparency, the GUARD Act would impose criminal penalties on companies whose AI chatbots engage in sexually explicit conduct with minors or solicit them to commit self-harm or violence. It would also ban companion chatbots for minors outright and require chatbots to disclose their non-human status at the beginning of every conversation.

The unanimous committee vote on the GUARD Act underscores the depth of bipartisan alarm. The bill has 18 co-sponsors across both parties, including the committee's ranking member, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL).

Senator Schatz framed the urgency in personal terms. "AI is an incredibly powerful tool -- it's everywhere, and it poses real risks for kids," he said. "We've seen reports of AI chatbots encouraging kids to hurt themselves and for some, they're replacing real life relationships, isolating kids from their families and friends. Our bill will give parents better tools to keep their kids safe and hold AI companies accountable."

The Broader Regulatory Landscape

The twin legislative efforts represent the latest front in a growing campaign to regulate AI's impact on children. Earlier this year, the Senate Commerce Committee held hearings in which experts testified that AI presents greater risks to children than social media, citing the deeply personalized and conversational nature of chatbot interactions. Unlike a social media feed, an AI chatbot can form what feels like a one-on-one relationship with a child, creating a dynamic that child psychologists warn can be especially manipulative.

The push is also playing out in the House, where Representatives Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and Blake Moore (R-UT) have introduced their own bipartisan legislation targeting companion chatbots for children. And in the background, the Federal Trade Commission has signaled increasing interest in enforcement actions against companies that fail to protect minors in AI environments.

Industry groups have offered mixed reactions. Some AI companies have expressed support for reasonable guardrails, arguing that clear rules would provide regulatory certainty. Others have warned that overly prescriptive legislation could stifle innovation and push development overseas. The debate mirrors the tensions that surrounded earlier efforts to regulate social media's impact on children, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 -- a law that many experts now consider outdated in the age of generative AI.

What Comes Next

The CHATBOT Act faces an uncertain path. While its bipartisan backing improves its chances compared to many technology bills, the legislation must still navigate committee markups, potential amendments, and the competing priorities of a divided Congress. The simultaneous advancement of the GUARD Act could complicate matters if lawmakers disagree over whether to pursue parental control frameworks or outright bans -- or some combination of both.

What is no longer in question is whether Congress will act. The stories of families whose children were harmed by AI chatbot interactions have galvanized lawmakers across party lines. Parents of children who lost their lives or committed self-harm reportedly connected to AI chatbot use watched from the gallery as the Judiciary Committee advanced the GUARD Act. Their presence served as a reminder that for all the policy complexity, the stakes are as simple and as devastating as a parent's worst fear.

The CHATBOT Act and the GUARD Act together signal that the era of unregulated AI interactions with children is drawing to a close. The remaining question is what the new rules will look like -- and whether they will arrive fast enough.