Virginia 2026 Session Status: Introduced

SB796 — Artificial Intelligence Companion Chatbots and Minors Act; established, enforcement, civil penalty.

Last action — Continued from last session

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House of Delegates
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 23, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

  • Introduced

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 5 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill establishes rules for AI chatbots interacting with minors.

This legislation sets guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence companion chatbots when engaging with minors. It includes provisions for enforcement and specifies civil penalties for violations.

Summary

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

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read SB796 on the official Virginia source →

Action History

  1. H Continued to next session in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote)

  2. H House committee offered

  3. H Placed on Communications, Technology and Innovation Agenda

  4. H Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation

  5. H Read first time

  6. H Placed on Calendar

  7. S Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 1-N 0-A)

  8. S Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  9. S Rules suspended

  10. S Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute as amended

  11. S Senator Durant Amendment agreed to

  12. S Reading of amendment waived (Voice Vote)

  13. S Engrossment reconsidered by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  14. S Engrossed by Senate - floor substitute (Voice Vote)

  15. S Senator Durant Substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)

  16. S Reading of substitute waived (Voice Vote)

  17. S Committee substitute rejected (Voice Vote)

  18. S Read second time

  19. S Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  20. S Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A)

  21. S Rules suspended

  22. S Committee substitute printed 26107851D-S1

  23. S Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (14-Y 0-N 1-A)

  24. S Senate committee offered

  25. S Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB796)

  26. S Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

  27. S Presented and ordered printed 26105447D

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 147 not signed on · 1 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (147)

147 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 147 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading)

Passed 36 Yea · 0 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 36004
Total 36004
% of votes cast 90%0%0%10%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Aaron R. Rouse — Yea
Adam P. Ebbin — Yea
Angelia Williams Graves — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
Christie New Craig — Yea
Christopher T. Head — Yea
Danica A. Roem — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Emily M. Jordan — Yea
Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr. — Yea
J.D. "Danny" Diggs — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jennifer D. Carroll Foy — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Not Voting
Kannan Srinivasan — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Yea
Luther Cifers, III — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Yea
Michael J. Jones — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Russet Perry — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Saddam Azlan Salim — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Stella G. Pekarsky — Yea
T. Travis Hackworth — Not Voting
Tammy Brankley Mulchi — Yea
Tara A. Durant — Yea
Timmy French — Not Voting
Todd E. Pillion — Not Voting
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Engrossment reconsidered by Senate

Passed 40 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 40000
Total 40000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Aaron R. Rouse — Yea
Adam P. Ebbin — Yea
Angelia Williams Graves — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
Christie New Craig — Yea
Christopher T. Head — Yea
Danica A. Roem — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Emily M. Jordan — Yea
Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr. — Yea
J.D. "Danny" Diggs — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jennifer D. Carroll Foy — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
Kannan Srinivasan — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Yea
Luther Cifers, III — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Yea
Michael J. Jones — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Russet Perry — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Saddam Azlan Salim — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Stella G. Pekarsky — Yea
T. Travis Hackworth — Yea
Tammy Brankley Mulchi — Yea
Tara A. Durant — Yea
Timmy French — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Constitutional reading dispensed (on 3rd reading)

Passed 40 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 40000
Total 40000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Aaron R. Rouse — Yea
Adam P. Ebbin — Yea
Angelia Williams Graves — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
Christie New Craig — Yea
Christopher T. Head — Yea
Danica A. Roem — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Emily M. Jordan — Yea
Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr. — Yea
J.D. "Danny" Diggs — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jennifer D. Carroll Foy — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
Kannan Srinivasan — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Yea
Luther Cifers, III — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Yea
Michael J. Jones — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Russet Perry — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Saddam Azlan Salim — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Stella G. Pekarsky — Yea
T. Travis Hackworth — Yea
Tammy Brankley Mulchi — Yea
Tara A. Durant — Yea
Timmy French — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Read third time and passed Senate

Passed 39 Yea · 1 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 39100
Total 39100
% of votes cast 98%3%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Aaron R. Rouse — Yea
Adam P. Ebbin — Yea
Angelia Williams Graves — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
Christie New Craig — Yea
Christopher T. Head — Yea
Danica A. Roem — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Emily M. Jordan — Yea
Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr. — Yea
J.D. "Danny" Diggs — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jennifer D. Carroll Foy — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
Kannan Srinivasan — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Nay
Luther Cifers, III — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Yea
Michael J. Jones — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Russet Perry — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Saddam Azlan Salim — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Stella G. Pekarsky — Yea
T. Travis Hackworth — Yea
Tammy Brankley Mulchi — Yea
Tara A. Durant — Yea
Timmy French — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute

Passed 14 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 14001
Total 14001
% of votes cast 93%0%0%7%
How each member voted (15)
Member Party Vote
Aaron R. Rouse — Yea
Adam P. Ebbin — Yea
Angelia Williams Graves — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
Christie New Craig — Yea
Christopher T. Head — Yea
Danica A. Roem — Yea
Emily M. Jordan — Yea
Jennifer D. Carroll Foy — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
Lashrecse D. Aird — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Not Voting
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Timmy French — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

civil-rights technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB796 do?
Artificial Intelligence Companion Chatbots and Minors Act; established, enforcement, civil penalty.
Who sponsors SB796?
SB796 is sponsored by Tara A. Durant.
What is the current status of SB796?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 23, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB796?
Track SB796 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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