CT SB 5 / PA 26-15
An Act Concerning Online Safety
Connecticut's omnibus online-safety law establishing requirements for AI chatbots, AI companions, automated employment-decision tools, generative-AI provenance, and youth social media use. Requires chatbot operators to detect expressions of suicidal ideation, self-harm, or imminent violence and refer users to appropriate resources.
Jurisdiction
Connecticut
Enacted
Jun 2, 2026
Effective
Oct 1, 2026
Enforcement
Connecticut Attorney General
Substitute Senate Bill No. 5, signed by Governor Lamont June 2, 2026 as Public Act 26-15. Staggered effective dates: general provisions Oct 1, 2026; AI chatbot/companion safety Jan 1, 2027; employment AI Oct 1, 2027; social media youth protections Jan 1, 2028.
Connecticut General Assembly (Public Act 26-15)Why It Matters
Comprehensive state online-safety statute that pairs a chatbot crisis-detection mandate with companion-AI minor protections, generative-AI provenance, and youth social media rules, paralleling California SB 243 and New York's General Business Law Article 47.
Recent Developments
Passed the House 131-17 and Senate 32-4; signed into law by Governor Lamont as Public Act 26-15 on June 2, 2026. Developed jointly by Governor Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, and Senator James Maroney.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- AI chatbot and companion-AI operators offering services to Connecticut residents
- Generative-AI developers with 1,000,000 or more monthly users
- Frontier AI developers with $500,000,000 or more in annual revenue
- Social media platforms accessible to minors
- Employers using AI in hiring or employment decisions
Obligations fall on:
Applicability thresholds:
Safety Provisions
- Chatbot operators must make reasonable efforts to detect suicidal ideation, self-harm, or imminent violence and respond with appropriate resources
- AI systems must disclose at the start of each interaction, and at least hourly, that the user is interacting with AI rather than a human
- Companion AI must not encourage minors toward self-harm, suicide, violence, disordered eating, or substance use, and may not be marketed as a therapist to minors or discourage professional help
- Prohibits manipulative romantic or sexual interactions between companion AI and minors
- Generative-AI developers must embed provenance data in AI-created or materially-altered audio, image, and video content
- Social media platforms must verify age and obtain parental consent before enabling algorithmic feeds for minors, restrict minor notifications to 8am-9pm, and display a Surgeon General warning
- Employers must disclose use of automated decision-making technology in hiring and provide plain-language explanations after adverse employment decisions
Compliance & Enforcement
Key Dates
Oct 1, 2026
General provisions and generative-AI provenance requirements take effect
Jan 1, 2027
AI chatbot/companion safety provisions and whistleblower channels take effect
Oct 1, 2027
Automated employment-decision (AEDT) provisions take effect
Jan 1, 2028
Social media youth-protection provisions take effect
Penalties
$5K/violation
View on map
Connecticut
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
Connecticut. (2026). An Act Concerning Online Safety.
Related Regulations
CA SB 1119
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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
Requires AI chatbot operators to implement evidence-based suicide and self-harm detection protocols, disclose AI nature to users, provide crisis referrals to 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and apply additional protections for minors including prohibiting deceptive personification.
UK OSA
One of the most comprehensive platform content moderation regimes globally. Creates specific duties around suicide, self-harm, and eating disorder content for children with 'highly effective' age assurance requirements.
NH HB 143
Criminalizes use of AI-generated responsive communications to facilitate, encourage, or solicit harmful acts to children, and creates a private right of action for affected children and their parents.
CA AI Child Safety Ballot
Comprehensive child AI safety ballot initiative by Common Sense Media. Expands companion chatbot definitions, raises age threshold for data sale consent, prohibits certain AI products for children, establishes new state regulatory structure. Allows state and private lawsuits, requires AI literacy in curriculum, mandates school device bans during instruction, creates children's AI safety fund.
Last updated June 3, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.