CT SB00005: An Act Concerning Online Safety

In one paragraph

Public Act 26-15 is Connecticut's main AI statute. AI companion operators must disclose that users are talking to AI, run suicide and self-harm protocols and protect minors (from Jan. 1, 2027). Developers and deployers of automated employment-related decision technology must give notices to workers and applicants, enforced by the Attorney General, and AI use is no defense to discrimination claims (Oct. 1, 2026). It also adds frontier-developer whistleblower protections, provenance duties for large generative AI providers, AI subscription disclosures, a statutory AI definition, the CT AI Academy, an AI working group and state-agency AI inventory and assessment rules.

Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.

What it means for business

Employers and HR-tech vendors using automated hiring or employment tools, AI companion/chatbot operators, frontier and large generative AI developers, and AI subscription sellers face new notice, safety, provenance and disclosure duties enforced by the Attorney General.

Key provisions

1. 1Sec. 1: written disclosure of key terms before a consumer subscribes to or renews an AI subscription (eff. Oct. 1, 2026)
2. 2Sec. 2: whistleblower protections and internal reporting processes for employees of frontier developers on catastrophic AI risk (eff. Oct. 1, 2026)
3. 3Secs. 4-6: AI companion operators must disclose the user is interacting with AI, maintain suicide/self-harm protocols, and apply protections for minors (eff. Jan. 1, 2027)
4. 4Secs. 7-12: developer and deployer duties, notices to employees and applicants, and Attorney General enforcement with a cure period for automated employment-related decision technology (eff. Oct. 1, 2026)
5. 5Secs. 13-14: use of AI is not a defense to discrimination claims; anti-bias testing may be considered
6. 6Sec. 15: large generative AI providers must embed provenance data in synthetic content (eff. Oct. 1, 2026)
7. 7Secs. 17-18: statutory definition of artificial intelligence, Connecticut AI Academy, and an AI policy working group (eff. July 1, 2026)
8. 8Secs. 37-38: state agency AI inventories (first due Dec. 31, 2026) and rules for agency AI use, procurement and impact assessments

Latest legislative action

May 27, 2026. Signed by the Governor (Public Act 26-15)

Sponsors (showing 5 of 69)

Roll call votes (showing 3 of 5)

Amendments (3)

• Senate LCO Amendment #4063 (D) Not adopted 2026-04-13
• Senate LCO Amendment #4261 (D) Not adopted 2026-04-20
• Senate Schedule A LCO# 4418 (D) Not adopted 2026-04-21

Related and companion bills

• Connecticut SB00002An Act Concerning Artificial Intelligence.