HB 2032 — Establishes age verification measures for companion chatbots

SECOND REGULAR SESSION HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO.

2032 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY INTRODUCED5323H.02C BYJOSEPH REPRESENTATIVEENGLER, SCHMIDT.Chief Clerk AN ACT To amend chapter 1, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the implementation of age verification measures for companion chatbots, with penalty provisions.

5323H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk AN ACT To amend chapter 1, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the implementation of age verification measures for artificial intelligence chatbots, with penalty provisions.

(1) "AI(a) companion","Companion chatbot", an artificial intelligence chatbotsystem that:with a natural language interface that is made publicly available in this state and is designed to meet a user's emotional or social needs by providing adaptive, human-like responses to user inputs by doing all of the following:

(a) Provides adaptive, human-like responses to user inputs;

and (b) Is designed to encourage or facilitate the simulation of interpersonal or emotional interaction, friendship, companionship, or therapeutic communication;

(2) "Artificial intelligence chatbot":

(a) Any interactive computer service or software application that:

ProducesRetaining newinformation expressiveof contentprior interactions or responsesuser notsessions fullyand predetermineduser bypreferences to personalize the developerinteraction orand operatorfacilitate ofongoing theuser serviceengagement orwith application;the companion product;

and b.

AcceptsAsking open-endedunprompted naturalor languageunsolicited oremotion-based multimodalquestions userthat inputgo andbeyond producesa adaptivecontextual orresponse context-responsiveto output;a user prompt;

and (b)c. Does not include an interactive computer service or software application, the responses of which are limited to contextualized replies and that is unable to respond on a range of topics outside of a narrow, specified purpose;

Sustaining an ongoing dialogue across multiple interactions or sessions with a user concerning matters personal to the user.

(b) "Companion chatbot" does not include any of the following:

a.

A chatbot that is used primarily for customer service, a business' operational purposes, productivity and analysis related to source information, internal research, or technical assistance;

HCS HB 2032 2 (3)b. "Covered entity", any person who owns, operates, or otherwise makes available an artificial intelligence chatbot to individuals in this state;

(4)A "Minor",chatbot anythat personis seventeena yearsfeature of agea video game and limited to replies related to the video game, and cannot discuss topics related to mental health, self-harm, sexually explicit conduct, or under;maintain a dialogue on other topics unrelated to the video game;

(5)c. "Reasonable age verification measure", a method that is authenticated to relate to a user of an artificial intelligence chatbot, including:

A consumer electronic device that incorporates a speaker and voice command interface or text interface and acts as a voice- or text-activated virtual assistant;

or d.

A chatbot used by a partnership, corporation, or state or local government agency solely for internal purposes or employee health or productivity;

(2) "Covered entity", any person who owns, operates, or otherwise makes available a companion chatbot to individuals in this state;

(3) "Minor", any person seventeen years of age or under;

(4) "Reasonable age verification measure", a method that is authenticated to relate to a user of a companion chatbot, including:

Prevent access by minors to AIcompanion companions,chatbots, as required by subsection 6 of this section;

(6)(5) "Reasonable age verification process", an age verification process employed by a covered entity that:

(a) Uses one or more reasonable age verification measures in order to verify the age of a user of ana artificialcompanion intelligence chatbot owned, operated, or otherwise made available by the covered entity;

(7)(6) "Sexually explicit conduct", the same meaning as defined under section 573.010.

(1) It shall be unlawful to design, develop, or make available ana artificialcompanion intelligence chatbot knowing or with reckless disregard for the fact that the artificialcompanion intelligence chatbot poses a risk of soliciting, encouraging, or inducing minors to:

or HCS HB 2032 3 (b) Create or transmit any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, including any visual depiction described in section 573.010.

(1) It shall be unlawful to design, develop, or make available ana artificialcompanion intelligence chatbot knowing or with reckless disregard for the fact that the artificialcompanion intelligence chatbot encourages, promotes, or coerces suicide, nonsuicidal self-injury, or imminent physical or sexual violence.

HB 2032 3 (2) Any person who violates subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be fined not more than one hundred thousand dollars per offense.

(1) A covered entity shall require each individual accessing ana artificialcompanion intelligence chatbot to make a user account in order to use or otherwise interact with such chatbot.

(2) (a) With respect to each user account of ana artificialcompanion intelligence chatbot that exists as of August 28, 2026, a covered entity shall:

(b) At the time an individual creates a new user account to use or interact with ana artificialcompanion intelligence chatbot, a covered entity shall:

HCS HB 2032 4 (i) Limit collection of personal data to that which is minimally necessary to verify a user's age or maintain compliance with this section;

and (ii)(ii)Protect Protect such age verification data against unauthorized access;

c.c.Protect the integrity and confidentiality of such data by only transmitting such data using industry-standard encryption protocols;

Protect the integrity and confidentiality of such data by only transmitting such data using industry-standard encryption protocols;