What does Preamble of CHATBOT Act do?

This bill, formally titled 'To require the creation of family accounts for children to be able to use artificial intelligence chatbots, to require verifiable parental consent for teens using artificial intelligence chatbots, and for other purposes,' aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence chatbots by children and teens. The bill requires the creation of family accounts for children to access AI chatbots. It also mandates verifiable parental consent for teenagers using AI chatbots.

What does SHORT TITLE. of CHATBOT Act do?

This bill is formally titled the Children's Health, Advancement, Trust, Boundaries, and Oversight in Technology Act

What does DEFINITIONS. of CHATBOT Act do?

This section defines key terms used throughout the Act. “Artificial intelligence” is defined by reference to section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020. An “artificial intelligence chatbot” is defined as AI that engages in interactive conversations and provides outputs not pre-determined, scripted, or limited to specific purposes like customer service or education. “Child” is defined as an individual under the age of 13, and “teen” is defined as an individual between 13 and 18. The “Commission” refers to the Federal Trade Commission. A “covered entity” is a public-facing website, online service, or application whose primary function is providing an AI chatbot. “Targeted advertising” is defined as marketing to a child or teen based on personal data, excluding responses to prompts, contextual advertising, and data processing for advertising measurement. A “transparency label” is a notice displayed to users disclosing that the chatbot is AI and that its outputs are AI-generated.

What does FAMILY ACCOUNT REQUIREMENT FOR CHILDREN; TERMINATION OF of CHATBOT Act do?

This section establishes requirements for covered entities regarding children and teen users of artificial intelligence chatbots. Covered entities must require individuals to create and maintain family accounts to access chatbots if the entity knows the user is a child. Existing user accounts and profiles must be terminated if the user is a child without a family account or a teen without verifiable parental consent. Upon termination, covered entities must delete personal data collected from the user, including data collected or submitted by the parent. During a 90-day period after termination, covered entities must provide users or their parents with a copy of their personal data upon request, in a readable and machine-readable format, if technically feasible. Covered entities may retain records of account termination and minimum information for compliance purposes.

What does VERIFIABLE PARENTAL CONSENT AND OPTION FOR FAMILY ACCOUNTS FOR of CHATBOT Act do?

This section establishes requirements for covered entities regarding the creation of user accounts or profiles for teens on artificial intelligence chatbots. Prior to a teen creating an account, covered entities must provide direct notice to a parent and obtain verifiable parental consent, as defined by COPPA. Covered entities must offer parents the option to create a family account for the teen, as detailed in section 5. If a family account isn't created, the covered entity must set default features according to section 5(b)(1). Parents can adjust default settings if they later create a family account. Covered entities are deemed compliant if they adhere to COPPA's requirements for reasonable efforts to provide notice and obtain consent. Parents have the ability to revoke previously given verifiable parental consent. Upon revocation of consent, the covered entity must suspend, delete, or disable the teen's user account. The section clarifies that covered entities are not required to demand government-issued identification for relationship verification or parental consent.

What does PARENTAL CONTROLS AND SETTINGS FOR FAMILY ACCOUNTS. of CHATBOT Act do?

This section establishes parental controls and settings for family accounts provided by covered entities. Parents can determine privacy and account settings for their child or teen user, including limiting chatbot usage time and disabling rewards. Parents can also disable financial transactions, control data usage, access conversation records, and receive alerts regarding control bypass attempts. Covered entities must ensure default settings provide the most protective level of control and offer pre-set tiered options balancing protection and chatbot effectiveness. Entities must provide clear disclosures explaining the scope of parental control settings and provide information regarding policies and practices. Prior to account creation, covered entities must provide parents with clear information regarding parental controls, pre-set options, and how to access and manage the family account. A covered entity must provide an accessible means for users or parents to report violations of parental controls or contact the entity regarding chatbot use.

What does PROHIBITION ON TARGETED ADVERTISING. of CHATBOT Act do?

This section prohibits covered entities from using the personal data of children or teens for targeted advertising. Covered entities are permitted to deliver advertising that is age-appropriate and intended for a child or teen audience. Such advertising is allowed only if it complies with the targeted advertising prohibition and does not use personal information beyond the age of the child or teen.

What does DETERMINATION OF WHETHER A COVERED ENTITY KNOWS THAT AN of CHATBOT Act do?

This section outlines how to determine if a covered entity knows an individual is a child or teen. The Commission or a State's attorney general should rely on competent and reliable evidence, considering all circumstances, to make this determination. Covered entities are not required to implement age gating or age verification functionality. Covered entities are also not required to affirmatively collect personal data about an individual's age unless they are already collecting it. If a covered entity voluntarily collects personal data to comply with this Act, it cannot use that data for any purpose other than compliance. Such data cannot be retained longer than necessary to comply with the Act or to demonstrate compliance.

What does ENFORCEMENT. of CHATBOT Act do?

This section outlines the enforcement of the Act by the Commission and States. The Commission enforces the Act in the same manner as the Federal Trade Commission Act. States may bring civil actions against covered entities that violate the Act. The Commission has the right to intervene in State civil actions and file appeals. States are prevented from instituting separate civil actions during the pendency of a Commission action.

What does RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS. of CHATBOT Act do?

This Act preempts State laws that conflict with its provisions States can enact laws with greater protection for children The Act does not affect the application of certain Federal laws

Back to bills

CHATBOT Act

Last updated: 4/28/2026 · Introduced: 4/28/2026

Author: Ted Cruz (R-TX)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill requires covered entities offering AI chatbots to create family accounts for children under 13 and obtain verifiable parental consent for teens aged 13-18.
Covered entities must terminate user accounts for children without family accounts or teens without parental consent, deleting associated personal data.
The bill prohibits covered entities from using children’s or teens’ personal data for targeted advertising, allowing only age-appropriate advertising that complies with this restriction.
Parents using family accounts will have access to parental controls, including limiting chatbot usage time, disabling financial transactions, and accessing conversation records.
The National Science Foundation will conduct a study on the impact of AI chatbots on children and teens, and the GAO will assess the Act's effectiveness and provide recommendations for improvement.

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

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Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 11 more.

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