CO HB 1263
Colorado HB 1263 (Conversational AI Service Operator Requirements)
Imposes obligations on conversational AI service operators including minor-user protections, suicide and self-harm protocols, prohibition on emotional dependence and engagement gamification, and annual safeguard reporting.
Jurisdiction
Colorado
Enacted
May 29, 2026
Effective
Aug 12, 2026
Enforcement
Colorado Attorney General
Signed by Governor Polis on May 29, 2026 (Chapter 208). Takes effect August 12, 2026 (enacted without a safety clause).
Colorado General Assembly — HB 26-1263Why It Matters
Explicitly targets engagement gamification and emotional dependence as regulated harms — broadening state regulatory focus beyond disclosure and crisis response into the engagement-pattern design space.
Recent Developments
Signed into law May 29, 2026; effective August 12, 2026.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- Operators of conversational AI services accessible to Colorado users
Obligations fall on:
Safety Provisions
- Mandatory AI disclosure
- Suicide and self-harm protocols with crisis referrals
- Prohibition on sexually explicit content for minors
- Prohibition on engagement gamification
- Prohibition on fostering emotional dependence
- Ban on false professional/therapeutic claims
- Parental access tools
- Annual reporting on safeguard efficacy
Compliance & Enforcement
Penalties
Penalties pending regulatory determination
View on map
Colorado
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
Colorado. (2026). Colorado HB 1263 (Conversational AI Service Operator Requirements).
Related Regulations
ID Conversational AI Safety
Establishes safety requirements for public-facing conversational AI, including crisis service referrals for suicidal ideation, AI disclosure obligations, and enhanced protections for minors including anti-gamification and content safeguards.
OR SB 1546
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CA AI Child Safety Ballot
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Brazil ECA Digital
Comprehensive child digital safety law applying to any IT product or service directed at or likely to be accessed by minors in Brazil, with extraterritorial reach.
KIDS Act
Omnibus children's internet safety legislation incorporating the SAFE BOTs Act (AI chatbot safeguards) and AWARE Act (AI education resources). Requires AI chatbot operators to disclose AI status to minors, provide crisis hotline information, and implement break prompts.
Last updated June 20, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.