House Judiciary advances Littleton bill requiring AI disclosures, suicide-response protocols and protections for minors

Chairwoman Mary Littleton’s amended House Bill 1455 cleared the House Judiciary Committee on a 21-0 vote after the committee adopted two amendments and rolled them into a single package. The bill would require a prominent disclosure when users interact with an AI system, mandate protocols for responding to suicidal ideation, and impose protections for minors, including limits on reward-driven engagement and measures to prevent sexually explicit or human-impersonation outputs.

Littleton, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the measure is the product of months of stakeholder meetings and work with the Attorney General’s office. “This bill … creates an AI system to include a prominent disclosure clearly indicating the user is interacting with an AI system,” she said, and it “requires an AI system to adopt protocols to respond to user prompts regarding suicidal ideation” and to refer people to crisis services.

Under the amendment the committee considered, violations would be treated as an unfair or deceptive act under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, with the Attorney General authorized to recover civil penalties—Littleton said the bill allows penalties up to $20 million and permits up to 90% of restitution to be directed to victims or their families. The sponsor also said the bill’s effective date is delayed until July 2027 to give operators and stakeholders time to comply and to permit legislative adjustments in the next session.

Representative Johnson Powell and others praised the sponsor’s work. Representative Johnson Powell said the measure addresses youth suicide risk and thanked Littleton for shepherding the bill: “If there’s anything we need to do, it’s to protect our kids,” he said.

Members pressed staff about reach and enforceability when platforms are based out of state. Michelle Fogarty of Legal Services explained the bill defines “user” as “a person in this state who interacts with an artificial intelligence system,” and said the enforcement mechanism in the bill would allow the Attorney General to bring actions under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act. Fogarty noted Commerce Clause challenges would be a judicial question depending on the facts of each case: “That would be a question for the court based on … the facts of each individual case,” she said.

Committee members also asked whether health-care providers or insurers using AI in treatment could be liable if an AI interaction influenced a patient who later harmed themselves. Littleton said that if the AI influence could be shown, liability could attach under the bill’s standards.

The committee moved the bill as amended to the House calendar and rolls. The bill’s delayed effective date is July 2027; supporters said the window is intended to allow providers and platforms to implement required disclosures and safety protocols before enforcement begins.