FL Companion AI Age Verification
Florida Companion Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act
Standalone bill requiring age verification for ALL users (adults and minors) before accessing companion AI chatbots. Requires user account creation, confidential age verification, notifications that user is interacting with AI, and specific actions when user is determined to be a minor including potential access blocking.
Jurisdiction
Florida
Enacted
Pending
Effective
Jul 1, 2026
Enforcement
Florida Attorney General / Department of Legal Affairs
Filed by Sen. Burton. Died in the Commerce and Tourism Committee on March 13, 2026. (date_effective retains the bill's originally-proposed 2026-07-01 date, never reached.)
Florida Senate - SB 1344Why It Matters
Most stringent age verification requirement for companion AI - applies to all users, not just minors. Sets precedent for universal age-gating of companion chatbots. Anonymous verification requirement balances privacy with child safety.
Recent Developments
Died in committee March 13, 2026, along with the session's other two Florida companion-chatbot bills (HB 659, SB 482).
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- Companion AI chatbot operators
Obligations fall on:
Safety Provisions
- Age verification required for all users before access
- User account creation required
- Anonymous age verification option must be offered
- Confidentiality of age verification data required
- Notification that user is interacting with AI chatbot
- Specific actions required when user is minor
- Power to block minor's access to companion chatbots
Compliance & Enforcement
Penalties
Penalties pending regulatory determination
View on map
Florida
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
Florida. (2026). Florida Companion Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act.
Related Regulations
FL AI Bill of Rights
Establishes an 'AI Bill of Rights' for Floridians including the right to know if communicating with AI, parental controls over minors' AI chatbot access, prohibition on selling user data, disclosure requirements for AI-generated political ads, and protections against unauthorized use of name/image/likeness by AI.
FL Companion Chatbot Act
Regulates companion AI chatbots with emphasis on self-harm prevention and crisis intervention. Requires suicide/self-harm detection protocols, 988 crisis referrals, prohibition on chatbots discussing self-harm with users, and annual reporting on crisis interventions. Includes minor-specific protections including AI disclosure, break reminders, and prohibition on sexually explicit content.
IL HB 5511
Requires covered operators of online platforms to apply protective default settings to users they know to be minors, including limits on algorithmic feeds, a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. notification curfew and no autoplay by default on addictive social media platforms, and establishes a device-level age-bracket signal that Internet-enabled device manufacturers must provide and operators must request. Announced by the Governor as the Children's Social Media Safety Act, the title of the bill as introduced. Enforced by the Attorney General.
NJ Kids Code
Codifies a New Jersey Age-Appropriate Design Code requiring covered online service providers to design services likely to be accessed by minors around minors' safety and wellbeing, including high-privacy defaults, limits on engagement-maximising design features, and data protection impact assessments. Enforced by the Attorney General with a private right of action for minors and their parents.
IA SF 2417
Establishes requirements and guidelines for conversational AI services including AI disclosure to minors, prohibition on sexually explicit content for minors, prevention of deceptive human-like interactions, and parental controls for children under 13.
CO HB 1263
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.
Last updated August 2, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.