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SB 796 VA
Passed One Chamber

Artificial Intelligence Companion Chatbots and Minors Act; established, enforcement, civil penalty.

VA · session 2027 · Senate · bill

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Introduced Jan 23, 2026

Latest action (Jul 21, 2026) Continued from last session

Summary

This bill would establish the Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and Minors Act to regulate AI chatbots' interactions with children. AI companion chatbots are artificial intelligence systems designed to engage in conversational interactions with users. The bill would establish requirements and restrictions on how these chatbots can be used with or targeted to minors. The bill would create enforcement mechanisms and establish civil penalties for violations of the protections for minors using AI chatbots, and would allow individuals to bring civil actions for violations.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill (from the OpenStates abstract — no full text available yet) — neutral, and may be imperfect.

Official abstract

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 59.1 a chapter numbered 60, consisting of sections numbered 59.1-614 through 59.1-618, relating to Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and Minors Act established; enforcement; civil penalties; individual action.

Sponsor (1)
3 coauthors / cosponsors

Action history (29)
  1. Jan 23, 2026 Presented and ordered printed 26105447D · upper
  2. Jan 23, 2026 Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology · upper
  3. Feb 11, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB796) · upper
  4. Feb 11, 2026 Senate committee offered · upper
  5. Feb 11, 2026 Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (14-Y 0-N 1-A) · upper
  6. Feb 12, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107851D-S1 · upper
  7. Feb 13, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
  8. Feb 13, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
  9. Feb 13, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
  10. Feb 16, 2026 Read second time · upper
  11. Feb 16, 2026 Committee substitute rejected (Voice Vote) · upper
  12. Feb 16, 2026 Floor offered Senator Durant Substitute · upper
  13. Feb 16, 2026 Reading of substitute waived (Voice Vote) · upper
  14. Feb 16, 2026 Senator Durant Substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) · upper
  15. Feb 16, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - floor substitute (Voice Vote) · upper
  16. Feb 17, 2026 Engrossment reconsidered by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
  17. Feb 17, 2026 Floor offered Senator Durant Amendment · upper
  18. Feb 17, 2026 Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote) · upper
  19. Feb 17, 2026 Senator Durant Amendment agreed to · upper
  20. Feb 17, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute as amended · upper
  21. Feb 17, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
  22. Feb 17, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
  23. Feb 17, 2026 Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 1-N 0-A) · upper
  24. Feb 24, 2026 Placed on Calendar · lower
  25. Feb 24, 2026 Read first time · lower
  26. Feb 24, 2026 Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation · lower
  27. Mar 2, 2026 House committee offered · lower
  28. Mar 2, 2026 Continued to next session in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote) · lower
  29. Jul 21, 2026 Continued from last session · lower

Full text

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