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Vermont committee hears testimony on H.814 neurological rights, moves broader AI rules into a study and shifts chatbot rules to H.816
Summary
Witnesses urged protections for neural data, clearer definitions of "augmented intelligence," representation for mental-health professionals on the state AI council and limits on unreviewed clinical chatbots; lawmakers said most regulatory details will be folded into a one-year study and chatbot rules addressed in H.816.
The Health Care Committee on Feb. 25 heard several hours of testimony on H.814, a bill that would establish neurological-rights language and change the membership and charge of Vermont’s artificial-intelligence advisory council, while lawmakers signaled they will move many technical regulatory provisions, including chatbot rules, into a one-year study and handle chatbots through companion legislation, H.816.
Lynn Currier, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers’ Vermont chapter, told the committee that independent AI therapy chatbots should be barred from practice in Vermont. "At best, it's unlicensed practice. At worst, anything that's attached to a large language model is potentially very dangerous," she said, urging lawmakers to adopt neurological-rights language aligned with United Nations guidance and to include NASW representation on the AI council.
The bill’s sponsor and committee members described a compromise they are drafting: retain a short…
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