In one paragraph
Not law: died in committee. SB 1344 would have required operators of companion AI chatbots in Florida (bots built mainly to simulate friendship, companionship, emotional or therapeutic conversation) to require user accounts and verify every user's age, freezing existing accounts on July 1, 2026 until verified. Minors would have needed a verified parental account and parental consent and been blocked from bots that suggest sexually explicit communication, and every user would have seen a pop-up at the start and every 60 minutes saying they are not talking to a human. It died in the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee on March 13, 2026.
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
None: the bill died in committee and creates no obligations for chatbot operators in Florida.
Key provisions
- Would have created s. 501.1739, F.S., for operators making a companion AI chatbot available to people in Florida
- User accounts required; existing accounts frozen on July 1, 2026 until the user's age was verified (standard or anonymous age verification)
- Minors: account tied to a verified parental account, verifiable parental consent, and a block on bots that suggest sexually explicit communication
- Pop-up at the start of each interaction and at least every 60 minutes saying the user is not talking to a human
- Enforcement only by the Department of Legal Affairs under FDUTPA, with civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation
- Filed January 7, 2026; referred to three Senate committees; died in Commerce and Tourism on March 13, 2026 with no recorded vote
Latest legislative action
Mar 13, 2026. Died in Commerce and Tourism
Sponsors (showing 5 of 13)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Benacquisto | Primary |
| Cruz | Primary |
| Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice | Primary |
| Bradley | Primary |
| Burgess | Primary |
Roll call votes (showing 3 of 5)
Passage, Third Reading Apr 29, 2025
114 yea0 nay5 otherPassed
Third Reading Apr 24, 2025
36 yea0 nay2 otherPassed
Favorable with Committee Substitute Apr 17, 2025
17 yea0 nay2 otherPassed
Topics and industries
Related topics
Affected industries
This page is general information, not legal advice. Summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors; read the statute for the controlling text and talk to a lawyer about your situation. Full disclaimer · Report an error