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
Jan 1, 2027
Enforcement
Colorado Attorney General
Signed by Governor Polis on May 29, 2026 (Chapter 208). The act formally took effect August 12, 2026 (90 days after adjournment; no safety clause), but every operator duty in the session law is dated on and after January 1, 2027, with annual reporting to the Attorney General beginning on and after July 1, 2027. The August 2026 date carries no operative obligations.
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. Although the act formally took effect August 12, 2026, the operative requirements are dated January 1, 2027 (operator duties) and July 1, 2027 (annual reporting) in the session law text (Ch. 208, Section 6-1-1708 C.R.S.).
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
Key Dates
Jan 1, 2027
Operator duties apply: AI disclosure, minor-user protections, suicide/self-harm protocol, false-representation prohibition
Jul 1, 2027
Annual safeguard reporting to the Colorado Attorney General begins
Penalties
Penalties pending regulatory determination
View on map
Colorado
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
Colorado. (2026). Colorado HB 1263 (Conversational AI Service Operator Requirements).
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Last updated August 3, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.