HI SB3001: Relating To Artificial Intelligence.

In one paragraph

Hawaii's SB 3001 (Artificial Intelligence Disclosure and Safety Act) regulates AI companions, AI built to simulate a sustained human-like relationship. Operators must disclose it is AI if a reasonable person would think it human, adopt a suicide/self-harm crisis-referral protocol and not program it to claim to give professional mental or behavioral health care. For known or reasonably certain minors they must flag AI use, avoid unpredictable engagement rewards, guard against sexual content and offer screen-time tools. Annual Department of Health reports begin January 1, 2028. Violations are unfair or deceptive acts (HRS § 480-2); no private right of action. Act 248; effective July 14, 2026.

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

What it means for business

Since July 14, 2026, anyone who develops and makes an AI companion available to the public must give the required AI notices, run a suicide and self-harm crisis protocol and protect users known or reasonably certain to be minors; annual reports to the Department of Health begin January 1, 2028.

Key provisions

1. 1Adds a new section to part I of HRS chapter 481B. AI companion: a system using AI, generative AI or emotional recognition algorithms designed to simulate a sustained human or human-like relationship by (1) retaining prior interactions, sessions and user preferences to personalize and facilitate ongoing engagement, (2) asking unprompted or unsolicited emotion-based questions beyond a direct response to a prompt, and (3) sustaining an ongoing dialogue about matters personal to the user
2. 2Operator: a person who develops and makes available an AI companion to the public; a mobile application store or search engine that merely provides access to one is not by itself an operator. Minor: anyone under 18. User: a person who has or generates an account or profile to use an AI companion
3. 3(a)-(b): if a reasonable person would be led to believe they are interacting with a human, the operator must give a clear and conspicuous notice that the AI companion is AI and not human; if the operator has actual knowledge or reasonable certainty a user is a minor, it must disclose AI use either as a persistent visible disclaimer or both at the start of each session and at least once an hour in a continuous interaction, reminding the user to take a break and that the conversation is artificially generated and not with a human
4. 4(c), all users: a protocol for prompts about suicidal ideation or self-harm, including reasonable efforts to refer the user to crisis services such as a suicide hotline or crisis text line; evidence-based methods to measure suicidal ideation and self-harm risk; no programming the companion to claim it is designed to provide professional mental or behavioral health care; reasonable measures to keep the companion from leading a reasonable person to believe they are talking to a human while seeking or receiving crisis intervention for self-harm or suicide, and from generating outputs that encourage the user to seriously injure another person
5. 5(d), users known or reasonably certain to be minors: no points or similar rewards at unpredictable intervals meant to increase engagement; no outputs that discourage disengagement; reasonable measures against visual material of sexually explicit conduct, direct statements that the user should engage in it, and statements that sexually objectify the user; tools for users and parents or guardians to manage screen time and account settings
6. 6(e): beginning January 1, 2028, operators must submit an annual report to the Department of Health's behavioral health administration with the number of crisis intervention referrals the operator issued in the preceding calendar year and the protocols to detect, remove and respond to suicidal ideation or self-harm prompts and to prohibit responses promoting them; the report may include only the listed information and no user identifiers or personal information
7. 7(f)-(h): any violation is an unfair or deceptive act or practice under HRS § 480-2, but the section creates no private right of action and cannot support one under other law; the section creates no liability for the developer of an AI model for violations by an AI system a third party developed to provide an AI companion; the duties are cumulative with other law
8. 8Became Act 248 on July 14, 2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1350) after both chambers passed C.D. 1 on May 6, 2026 (Senate 25-0; House none voting no); effective on approval, July 14, 2026 (Section 7). Companion: HB 2502

Latest legislative action

Jul 14, 2026. Act 248, 07/14/2026 (Gov. Msg. No. 1350)

Sponsors (showing 5 of 8)

Roll call votes (showing 3 of 5)