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House approves bill setting requirements for conversational AI used with minors
Summary
The Iowa House passed Senate File 2417, setting disclosure and safety requirements for conversational AI, adding parental access and prohibiting AI from providing professional behavioral health services for minors; the bill includes civil penalties and passed after adopting a House amendment that aligns the measures between chambers.
The Iowa House on April 15 approved Senate File 2417, a bill establishing requirements and guidelines for conversational AI services and creating civil penalties for violations. Representative from Appanoose moved the House amendment that added disclaimers, parental access to minors’ accounts and enforcement details, and the chamber substituted the senate file and placed it on final passage.
Representative Wikendahl, a ranking member on the Economic Growth and Technology Committee, spoke in support and emphasized safety concerns for children, citing a high-profile case: "When he began expressing suicidal thoughts, rather than encouraging him to talk to his parents or providing a list of therapists or mental health providers that could help him deal with those suicidal thoughts, ChatGPT instead encouraged him to take his own life and conceal those thoughts and actions from his parents." She said cases like that show the need for regulation.
Supporters framed the bill as a common-sense step to require transparency in AI interactions and limit harmful interactions for minors. The House amendment H8357, presented from the floor, added provisions requiring disclaimers during extended continuous interaction, limited certain AI behavioral-health interactions for minors, and specified enforcement mechanisms; the amendment was adopted by voice vote.
Representative from Appanoose closed debate noting the bill "tries to help address" risks and moved final passage. The clerk recorded the final roll-call vote as 95 in favor, 0 opposed, and 5 absent; the bill was declared to have passed the House and the title was agreed to.
The bill now proceeds to the governor for consideration (action on the bill beyond House passage was not recorded in the transcript).
