AI Chatbot Ban for Minors Passes Internet & Technology Committee, among 11 Bills

New York, NY –  On Wednesday, February 25, 2026 the New York State Senate Committee on Internet & Technology, Chaired by State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, passed a package of legislation to regulate AI chatbots. The package include legislation to protect minors from unsafe features in chatbots (S9051) and to prevent AI from impersonating certain licensed professionals, including mental healthcare workers (S7263). The Committee passed these bills at the first meeting of the legislative session as priorities to urgently address growing concerns about the effects of AI Chatbots, especially on minors and in mental health settings. These bills were among 11 that passed in the Committee’s first meeting.

S9051 (Gonzalez) would prohibit AI chatbots from offering their services to minors when the technology contains certain unsafe features. The bill was developed in partnership with the Office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Common Sense Media. Last month, Character.AI and Google settled several lawsuits pertaining to their chatbots being used by minors, in seemingly dangerous, and in some instances fatal, ways. This chatbot legislation features the most current research on AI companions and their impacts on young users. 

S7263 (Gonzalez) would prohibit chatbots from impersonating license professionals and providing substantive responses that result in harm to the user. At a time when we have too many instances of chatbot users acting on wrong or harmful outputs, this bill would create protections for consumers and hold AI companies liable when their products harm New Yorkers.

Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “As generative AI becomes more embedded in our daily lives, we have a responsibility to make sure innovation doesn’t come at the expense of New Yorkers’ safety, especially our kids. As Chair of the Internet & Technology Committee, I’m proud of the agenda we passed today. People deserve real care from real people. They deserve transparency, accountability, and the promise that their data is secure while utilizing technology.”

Bills passed by the Internet & Technology Committee on February 25, recording available here:

• S9051, Gonzalez
  • An act to amend the general business law, in relation to prohibiting artificial intelligence chatbots from using features which are considered unsafe for minors
• S933, Gonzalez
  • An act to amend the state technology law, in relation to establishing the position of chief artificial intelligence officer and the functions, powers and duties therefor
• S934A, Gonzalez
  • An act to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring notices on generative artificial intelligence systems
• S936A, Gonzalez
  • An act directing a state agency telework report
• S1139, Gonzalez
  • An act to amend the state technology law, in relation to requiring governmental entities to implement multifactor authentication for local and remote network access
• S1961A, Gonzalez
  • An act to amend the state technology law, in relation to establishing the “Secure Our Data Act”
• S7263, Gonzalez
  • An act to amend the general business law, in relation to imposing liability for damages caused by a chatbot impersonating certain licensed professionals
• S3699, Sanders
  • An act to enact the “Facial Recognition Technology Study Act”
• S5609, Salazar
  • An act to amend the executive law, in relation to prohibiting the use of biometric surveillance technology by law enforcement; to establish the biometric surveillance regulation task force; and providing for the repeal of certain provisions upon expiration thereof
• S6954A, Gounardes
  • An act to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring synthetic content creations system providers to include provenance data on synthetic content produced or modified by a synthetic content creations system that the synthetic content creations system provider makes available
• S6955A, Gounardes
  • An act to amend the general business law, in relation to establishing the “Artificial Intelligence Training Data Transparency Act”

###