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House passes bill regulating AI chatbots for minors after debate over private right of action
Summary
The House passed House Bill 22 25 to regulate AI companion chatbots and require certain disclosures and guardrails aimed at protecting children; the vote was 69–28. Floor debate focused on harms to minors and whether to retain a private right of action or rely on Attorney General enforcement.
House Bill 22 25, a bill targeting AI companion chatbots and related consumer protections for minors, passed the House after floor debate and a roll-call vote of 69 yays to 28 nays with one excused. Sponsors framed the bill as a child-safety measure informed by committee testimony; opponents raised concerns about removing private rights of action and the burden that would place on the Attorney General.
"Every child in Washington state deserves to thrive," Representative Kallen said on the floor while urging passage, saying the bill seeks to prevent harms revealed in committee testimony about AI companions. Representative Barnard, who led floor amendment work, said the measure requires operators to publicly disclose certain crisis referrals and refine liability pathways: "This makes perfect sense that we would require an operator rather than report it to the AG, allow the public to know who has needed a crisis response due to their relationship to chatbots." Representative Ryu opposed removal of a private right of action, saying, "Removing the private right of action will impact Washingtonian families and their access to justice."
The floor adopted several amendments to the bill and rejected others (notably an amendment that would have removed the private right of action was not adopted). After final passage was recorded, the Clerk declared Engrossed Substitute House Bill 22 25 passed. The bill’s floor text included an effective date read on the record as 01/01/2027.
