IA SF2417: A bill for an act establishing requirements and guidelines for conversational AI services, and providing civil penalties, and including applicability…

In one paragraph

Iowa's SF 2417 (Iowa Code ch. 554J) covers public conversational AI services built mainly to simulate human conversation. For known minors, operators must disclose AI use, take reasonable measures against sexual content and human-like claims, not give rewards at unpredictable intervals to boost engagement, and offer privacy tools. If a reasonable user would think it is human, it must say it is AI. Operators need self-harm crisis-referral protocols and may not knowingly and intentionally program it to claim licensed mental health care. AG enforces: the greater of actual damages or $1,000 per violation (penalty capped at $500,000). Signed May 2, 2026 (Acts Chapter 1068); applies July 1, 2027.

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

What it means for business

From July 1, 2027, operators of public conversational AI services must disclose AI use, protect minors (sexual content, human-like claims, engagement rewards, privacy tools), adopt crisis-referral protocols and avoid mental-health claims; AG enforcement: damages or $1,000/violation, max $500,000.

Key provisions

1. 1Conversational AI service: an AI accessible to the public whose primary purpose is simulating human conversation by text, audio or visual means; excludes R&D tools, features of other products, narrow-topic tools, business customer-service tools, device voice assistants and internal tools. Operators are those who develop and offer the service, not app stores or search engines merely providing access
2. 2Minors (users the operator knows or is reasonably certain are under 18) must be clearly told they are interacting with AI: by a persistent visible disclaimer, or at the start of each interaction and at least every three hours of continuous use
3. 3For minors, reasonable measures to prevent sexually explicit images, statements urging sexual conduct and sexual objectification, and statements that would make a reasonable person think they are talking to a human (claims of sentience, simulated emotional dependence, romance or sexual innuendo, adult-minor romantic role-play); no points or rewards at unpredictable intervals meant to increase engagement
4. 4Operators must offer minors tools to manage privacy and account settings, and offer parents such tools for minors under 13 and otherwise as appropriate based on relevant risks
5. 5Any user: if a reasonable person would believe they are interacting with a human, the operator must disclose that the service is AI by a persistent disclaimer or one after every three hours of continuous interaction
6. 6Operators must adopt protocols for prompts about suicidal ideation or self-harm, including reasonable efforts to refer users to crisis services such as a suicide hotline or crisis text line, and may not knowingly and intentionally program the service to suggest it provides professional psychology or behavioral health services that require Iowa licensure
7. 7Violators are subject to an injunction and liable for the greater of actual damages or $1,000 per violation, capped at $500,000 per operator; the Attorney General enforces and adopts rules; no private right of action; AI model developers are not liable solely because a third party built a service on their model
8. 8Passed the Senate 48-0 (February 24, 2026) and the House 95-0 (April 15, 2026); signed May 2, 2026 (Acts Chapter 1068); the act takes effect July 1, 2026 and applies July 1, 2027

Latest legislative action

May 2, 2026. Signed by Governor. S.J. 1013.

Sponsors

Roll call votes