Washington AI Companion Chatbot Act (HB 2225)
Washington · Wash. HB 2225, Ch. 168, 2026 Laws; RCW 19.86.093
Washington requires AI companion chatbots to clearly tell users they are talking to an AI, not a person. Operators must have crisis protocols — connecting distressed users to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — and additional safeguards for minors. If a company violates the law, consumers can sue under Washington's Consumer Protection Act and recover actual damages, an injunction, and attorney's fees. Effective January 1, 2027.
Technical detail
HB 2225 (2025-26 Reg. Sess.; signed Mar. 24, 2026; effective Jan. 1, 2027) requires AI companion chatbot operators to disclose the AI nature of the chatbot, implement harm-prevention and crisis-information protocols for all users, apply additional minor-protective protocols (on a 'reason to believe user is a minor' standard), and file annual public reports. Private right of action via RCW 19.86.093 (Consumer Protection Act): prevailing plaintiffs may recover actual damages, injunctive relief, and attorney's fees. Excludes general virtual assistants, business-facing bots, gaming bots, and narrowly tailored educational tools.
Who is protected: Washington consumers using AI companion chatbots; minors receive heightened protections
Who must comply: Operators of AI companion chatbots available to Washington users (with exclusions for business, gaming, and general assistant bots)
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Washington |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | Enacted (not yet in effect) |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2027-01-01 |
| Enacted | 2026-03-24 |
| Citation | Wash. HB 2225, Ch. 168, 2026 Laws; RCW 19.86.093 |
| Enforced by | Washington courts (private Consumer Protection Act actions); Washington Attorney General |
| Private right of action | Yes — individuals can sue |
| Penalties | Actual damages, injunctive relief, and attorney's fees in private CPA actions; AG civil enforcement authority |
| Topics | children's online safety · consumer protection · AI disclosure and transparency · healthcare AI |
| Last verified | 2026-06-16 |
| Official source | Washington's New AI Companion Chatbot Law: Children's Safety & Private Right of Action — JDSupra / BakerHostetler ↗ |
More AI rules in Washington
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Washington HB 2225 (AI chatbot disclosure, minor protections, crisis protocols) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Washington HB 1170 (AI content watermarking & provenance metadata) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Washington SHB 1672 (employee monitoring notice, ADS restrictions, emotion AI ban) · In effect
- Washington HB 1999 (criminalizes AI/fabricated CSAM and nonconsensual fake intimate images) · In effect
- Washington SB 5395 (limits AI in health-insurance prior-auth denials) · In effect
Related children's online safety rules elsewhere
- PA v. Character.AI (Fake Psychiatrist Chatbot) · Blocked / in litigation
- RI AI Companion Self-Harm Safety (2026) · In effect
- Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) (H.R. 7757) · Proposed / pending
- Oregon SB 1546 (AI companion chatbot disclosure + private right of action) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- xAI v. Harwood (Grok NCII Counter-Suit 2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Blanchester OH schools AI policy EDEC (Jun. 29, 2026) · In effect
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