Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · Bill
HB 635: Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act; established, prohibited practices, penalties.
In committee Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
HB 635 is a bill introduced in the Virginia House on January 13, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act; established, prohibited practices, penalties. Primary sponsor: Michelle Lopes Maldonado. It lists 6 additional sponsors. Most recent recorded action (February 9, 2026): Continued to next session in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote).
Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written
Official summary
Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act established; prohibited practices; penalties. Creates the Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act, which prohibits an operator from making a companion chatbot, as those terms are defined in the bill, available to a user in the Commonwealth unless the companion chatbot is incapable of certain actions specified in the bill. The bill also requires an operator of a companion chatbot to include a disclaimer to users of all ages that a companion chatbot is not a human via a static, persistent disclosure and notify a user via a pop-up that he is not engaging with a human counterpart at specified intervals. The bill makes it unlawful for any operator of a companion chatbot to operate or provide a companion chatbot to a user unless such companion chatbot contains a protocol to take reasonable efforts for detecting and addressing expressions of suicidal ideation or self-harm by a user to the companion chatbot. The bill also includes certain data privacy and transparency requirements. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
Sponsors
Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 5
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Lopes Maldonado | Primary sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
| Bonita Anthony | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 92 |
| Margaret A. Franklin | Co-sponsor | Not applicable (committee) | — | — |
| Jackie Glass | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 93 |
| Cliff Hayes | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 91 |
| J.R. Henson | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 19 |
| Irene Shin | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 8 |
“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.
Recent official actions
- Continued to next session in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote)
- Subcommittee recommends continuing to (Voice Vote)
- House subcommittee offered
- Assigned HST sub: Technology and Innovation
- Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation
- Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105121D