Chester County families with kids who chat with AI companions would gain new protections under a bill the Pennsylvania House passed Tuesday, Sept. 29, in a 133-70 vote, as first reported by MyChesCo.
House Bill 2006, sponsored by state Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester, would require age verification for all users of AI companion chatbots and parental consent before minors can access them. The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled state Senate.
Thirty Republicans joined all 103 Democrats in support, according to Law Commentary.
The measure targets AI chatbots that retain conversation histories and simulate personal relationships. Customer service bots are excluded.
"Far too many children and adults are creating unhealthy emotional attachments with chatbots — and are experiencing terrifying interactions," Shusterman said.
What the bill would do
The legislation would require platforms to trigger crisis-response protocols when conversations indicate suicidal thoughts, self-harm, eating disorder behavior or interest in harming another person. It would ban chatbots from assisting or encouraging suicide, violence, or interactions that isolate minors from parents and trusted adults. Creating child sexual abuse material through AI would also be prohibited.
Platforms would have to remind users they are talking to artificial intelligence at the start of every session and at least every two hours, followed by a two-minute break. Companies could not retain age-verification data for more than 24 hours and could not require a government-issued ID solely to check a user's age.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General would enforce the law, with civil penalties of up to $100,000 per day per violation. Companies would also face public reporting requirements starting in July 2028. The law would take effect 180 days after enactment.
Local AI concerns came before the vote
In March, Gov. Josh Shapiro hosted a roundtable at the West Chester Community Center with Attorney General Dave Sunday, state Rep. Chris Pielli, D-Chester, and local students, parents and educators, WHYY reported.
Dr. Roger Harrison, a psychologist with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's child and adolescent psychiatry division, said at the March roundtable in West Chester that he sees children forming unhealthy attachments to chatbot companions. "I'm seeing young people who are, they're up until two, three, four in the morning just engaging with the chatbot," Harrison said at the event.
Meanwhile, the West Chester Area School District has been exploring AI's educational potential. Instructional technology coordinator Chris Cromwell built AI chatbots using SchoolAI for middle school classrooms to help students develop empathy and perspective-taking skills, Education Week reported in July. Cromwell said the tools also give teachers a chance to discuss how chatbot characters lack real human feelings.
Privacy concerns and what's next
Republican state Rep. Jason Ortitay, the ranking Republican on the House Communications and Technology Committee, called the bill an "important start" during floor debate but raised concerns about the personal information companies might collect to verify users' ages. He argued lawmakers should address those issues before the bill becomes law.
The bill must clear the Republican-controlled Senate before reaching Gov. Shapiro's desk. No Senate committee assignment or hearing date has been announced.
