Iowa Senate File 2417 (2026) — Requirements and Guidelines for Conversational AI Services
Iowa · Iowa S.F. 2417, 91st Gen. Assemb. (2026), applies July 1, 2027
Iowa requires operators of conversational AI services to clearly disclose that a user is interacting with artificial intelligence — through a persistent disclaimer or a notice repeated at least every three hours of continuous use — whenever a reasonable person might otherwise believe they are talking to a human. Operators must adopt protocols to respond to user messages about suicidal ideation or self-harm, including referring the user to crisis resources, and may not represent that the service provides professional psychological or behavioral health care, with extra safeguards for minors.
Technical detail
SF 2417 (signed May 2, 2026; applies July 1, 2027) establishes a new Iowa Code chapter requiring conversational-AI operators to provide AI disclosure (persistent or every three hours), adopt suicide/self-harm crisis-referral protocols, refrain from holding the service out as licensed psychological/behavioral health care (Iowa Code ch. 154B/154D), and impose extra protections for minors.
Who is protected: Iowa users of conversational AI services, with heightened protections for minors and users in mental-health crisis.
Who must comply: Operators of conversational AI services that interact with Iowa users.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Iowa |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | Enacted (not yet in effect) |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2027-07-01 |
| Enacted | 2026-05-02 |
| Citation | Iowa S.F. 2417, 91st Gen. Assemb. (2026), applies July 1, 2027 |
| Enforced by | Iowa Attorney General |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | A civil penalty of the greater of actual damages or up to $1,000 per violation, capped at $500,000 per operator. |
| Topics | consumer protection · healthcare AI · children's online safety |
| Last verified | 2026-07-24 |
| Official source | Iowa Legislature — Senate File 2417, 91st General Assembly ↗ |
More AI rules in Iowa
- Iowa Synthetic Intimate Content Law · In effect
- Iowa AI CSAM Law · In effect
- Iowa Consumer Data Protection Act · In effect
- Iowa HF 2635 (no AI-only prior-auth denials) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy (ENTERPRISE P · In effect
- Attorney General Brenna Bird Warns of Deepfake Dangers as St · In effect
Related consumer protection rules elsewhere
- Missouri AI Therapy Chatbot Ban (SB 1019) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Vermont Data Broker Law (H.211) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Arkansas Frank Broyles Act AI amendment — voice and likeness protection (2025) · In effect
- PA v. Character.AI (Fake Psychiatrist Chatbot) · Blocked / in litigation
- NAACP v. xAI (Colossus 2 Air Pollution) · Blocked / in litigation
- RI Therapy Chatbot Ban (2026) · In effect
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