OR SB 1546
Oregon AI Chatbot Safety Act
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.
Jurisdiction
Oregon
Enacted
Mar 6, 2026
Effective
Jan 1, 2027
Enforcement
Oregon Health Authority (reporting); private right of action
Passed Senate 26-1, House 52-0; signed by presiding officers March 6, 2026. Awaiting governor's signature.
Transparency Coalition AI — Bill GuideWhy It Matters
Second US state (after California) to mandate specific crisis intervention protocols for AI chatbots, with a private right of action for harm caused by non-compliant systems.
Recent Developments
Passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support (Senate 26-1, House 52-0) on March 6, 2026. Modeled on California SB 243. Excludes customer support software. Bill contains no explicit effective date clause, so Oregon's default rule applies: effective January 1, 2027. As of April 2026, awaiting Governor Kotek's signature.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- Operators of artificial intelligence chatbots
- AI platform operators
Obligations fall on:
Safety Provisions
- Evidence-based protocols for detecting inputs indicating self-harm or suicidal ideation
- Direct users showing suicidal ideation to 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or youth crisis lines
- Disclose to users that they are interacting with AI, not a human
- Provide regular reminders of AI nature during interaction
- Special protocols when operator has reason to believe user is a minor
- Prohibit generating statements that would lead a minor to believe they are interacting with another person
- Annual reporting to Oregon Health Authority on crisis referral incidents
Exemptions
Customer Support Exemption
Software intended for customer support is excluded
- • Purely transactional customer service
Compliance & Enforcement
Key Dates
Jan 1, 2027
Default effective date under Oregon Constitution Art. IV § 28 (bills take effect January 1 of following year absent explicit clause)
Penalties
Unspecified
Private Right of Action
Individuals can sue directly without waiting for regulatory action.
View on map
Oregon
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
Oregon. (2026). Oregon AI Chatbot Safety Act.
Related Regulations
CA SB 1119
Comprehensive companion chatbot children's safety framework establishing mandatory design features, default settings, prohibited conduct, parental controls, independent audit requirements, and a private right of action.
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.
GA AI Chatbot Child Safety
Requires disclosures related to conversational AI services, prohibits emotional manipulation of minors, and mandates crisis response protocols for suicide and self-harm detection.
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.
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.
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 April 16, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.