Florida SB 1344: Intermediate Care Facilities

Bill Text

1344 
Companion Artificial Intelligence Chatbots 
2026-01-07T08:57:37Z 
Requiring operators to require an individual seeking access to a companion AI chatbot to create a user account; requiring operators to take certain actions if the age verification process determines that a user is a minor; requiring operators to protect the confidentiality of age verification information provided by a user; providing that violations of the act are deemed deceptive and unfair trade practices, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1344 

 By Senator Burton 

 12-00648A-26 20261344__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to companion artificial intelligence 
 3 chatbots; creating s. 501.1739, F.S.; defining terms; 
 4 requiring operators to require an individual seeking 
 5 access to a companion AI chatbot to create a user 
 6 account; requiring operators to meet specified 
 7 requirements for existing and newly created companion 
 8 AI chatbot user accounts; requiring operators to take 
 9 certain actions if the age verification process 
 10 determines that a user is a minor; requiring operators 
 11 to protect the confidentiality of age verification 
 12 information provided by a user; requiring operators to 
 13 provide certain notifications to a user which indicate 
 14 that the user is interacting with a companion AI 
 15 chatbot; providing that violations of the act are 
 16 deemed deceptive and unfair trade practices; 
 17 authorizing the Department of Legal Affairs to bring 
 18 an action against an operator upon a certain finding; 
 19 providing applicability; authorizing the department to 
 20 collect a civil penalty, reasonable attorney fees, and 
 21 court costs; providing that age verification performed 
 22 for an operator in violation of this section is an 
 23 unfair and deceptive trade practice; providing 
 24 construction; providing that certain operators are 
 25 subject to the jurisdiction of state courts; 
 26 authorizing the department to take certain 
 27 investigative and compliance actions; providing a 
 28 civil penalty for any entity or person who fails to 
 29 comply with certain provisions and investigations; 
 30 authorizing the department to adopt rules; providing 
 31 an effective date. 
 32 
 33 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 34 
 35 Section 1. Section 501.1739, Florida Statutes, is created 
 36 to read: 
 37 501.1739 Companion artificial intelligence chatbots; system 
 38 operators regulated.— 
 39 (1) As used in this section, the term: 
 40 (a) “Anonymous age verification” has the same meaning as in 
 41 s. 501.1738. 
 42 (b) “Companion AI chatbot” means any software-based 
 43 artificial intelligence system or program that exists for the 
 44 primary purpose of simulating interpersonal or emotional 
 45 interaction, friendship, companionship, or therapeutic 
 46 communication with a user. 
 47 (c) “Department” means the Department of Legal Affairs. 
 48 (d) “Minor” means any individual who is under 18 years of 
 49 age. 
 50 (e) “Operator” means any person who owns, operates, or 
 51 otherwise makes available a companion AI chatbot to individuals 
 52 in this state. 
 53 (f) “Pop-up” means a visible notification on the screen of 
 54 a user which may be resolved if the user interacts with or 
 55 responds to the notification. 
 56 (g) “Sexually explicit communication” means any content, 
 57 conversation, or material that describes, depicts, or encourages 
 58 sexually explicit conduct, sexual excitement, or sexual 
 59 activity. 
 60 (h) “Standard age verification” means any commercially 
 61 reasonable method of age verification approved by the operator. 
 62 (2) An operator shall require an individual seeking access 
 63 to a companion AI chatbot to create a user account to use or 
 64 otherwise interact with the chatbot. 
 65 (3) With respect to companion AI chatbot user accounts in 
 66 existence before July 1, 2026, an operator shall: 
 67 (a) On such date, freeze or otherwise disable any such 
 68 account; 
 69 (b) Require the user of the frozen or disabled account to 
 70 provide age information and verify that information using 
 71 standard age verification or anonymous age verification before 
 72 the functionality of such account may be restored; and 
 73 (c) Using standard age verification or anonymous age 
 74 verification, classify each user as either a minor or an adult. 
 75 (4) Upon the creation of a new companion AI chatbot user 
 76 account, an operator shall: 
 77 (a) Request age information from the user; and 
 78 (b) Verify the user’s age using standard age verification 
 79 or anonymous age verification. 
 80 (5) If the age verification process determines that a user 
 81 is a minor, an operator must do all of the following: 
 82 (a) Require the account of such user to be affiliated with 
 83 a parental account that has been verified using standard age 
 84