Pennsylvania House passes bill requiring parental consent for children's use of AI companions
The Pennsylvania House voted 133–70 to pass a bill that would require parental consent for minors to use AI companions. Thirty Republicans also voted for the bill; the House is separately considering HB 2637, which would ban AI toys.
Who is affected and how
- parent
- If the bill becomes law, parental consent will be needed for a child to use an AI companion, so it is worth reviewing the apps your child uses now.
- edtech company
- Chatbots accessible to minors will need a parental-consent process, though critics complain the measure is invasive.
- education policymaker
- The bipartisan vote suggests that regulating AI companions is a politically viable path at state level.
Sources
- Pennsylvania House Passes Bill Requiring Parental Consent for Kids to Use AI Companionslaw commentary · Sep 28, 2026
- Pennsylvania House Passes Bill Requiring Parental Consent for Kids to Use AI Companions | Law Commentarylawcommentary.com · Sep 28, 2026
- House passes kids’ chatbot safety bill but gets pushback on invasivenesstimes observer · Sep 30, 2026
- House passes kids' chatbot safety bill but gets pushback on invasiveness | Pennsylvania | thecentersquare.comthecentersquare.com · Sep 28, 2026
- Pennsylvania House considers an AI toy ban bill, HB 2637: “These are chatbots in disguise” — Transparency Coalition. Legislation for Transparency in AI Now.transparencycoalition.ai · Sep 28, 2026
Machine-generated summary based on the titles and excerpts of the source articles. The facts come from the linked article.