California SB 243 companion chatbot safety law
Requires companion chatbot disclosures, suicide and self-harm safeguards, protections for minors, and reporting obligations for operators.
California · Enacted · Effective Jan 1, 2026
What it is
- What changed
- Requires companion chatbot disclosures, suicide and self-harm safeguards, protections for minors, and reporting obligations for operators.
- Why it matters
- Digital support tools for caregivers may need to explain their role, data use, safety boundaries, or escalation limits differently in this jurisdiction.
- Who it touches
- Family caregivers, People using AI and digital health tools, People receiving carefamily caregivers, care recipients, care technology users
- What it does
- Requires something of providers, companies or agencies; Limits or bans a practice, or narrows eligibility
- Latest action
- Chaptered in 2025; operative provisions begin in 2026 and reporting begins later.
- Identifiers
- SB 243 (session 20252026)
- Topics
- Caregiving AI
Sources
Last reviewed Sep 25, 2026. This is information, not legal advice; check the source for the current text.