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Senate committee holds companion‑chatbot bill after industry carveouts and protections discussed
Summary
House Bill 952, which would require companion‑chatbot operators to adopt protocols to prevent self‑harm content and to warn users (and collect certain data for the state Office of Suicide Prevention), was discussed at length and held for further consideration after industry carveouts and reporting requirements were reviewed.
House Bill 952, considered by the Senate Finance Committee on the voting list, would require operators of companion chatbots to publish protocols preventing the bot from producing content concerning self‑harm or suicide and, as applicable for a minor user, sexually explicit content. Operators must display a clear warning that bots are not human and may be unsuitable for some minors. The bill also tasks the Office of Suicide Prevention with annually collecting and publishing specified data from operators and places enforcement with the Office of the Attorney General under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.
Committee discussion summarized amendments and carveouts: an AT&T‑requested carveout excludes certain business customer‑service bots; the Motion Picture Association asked for a narrow streaming‑service‑connected bot exception; and the Maryland Retailers Association pushed to separate in‑app features from full companion bots so routine retail chat functionality is not unintentionally covered. The chair noted some of these changes were included in the reprint and that additional review with stakeholder groups would be prudent.
The committee did not vote on the measure during this session of the transcript and the bill was held for further consideration to allow time for committee staff to confirm whether proposed amendments resolved industry concerns and to allow sponsors to circulate the updated reprint to interested parties.
