In one paragraph
Maryland's HB 1261 (2026, the Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act, first reader text) would have set rules for toys that use AI and are marketed to or mainly used by children: no sexual, violent or emotionally manipulative content, verified parental consent, limits on child data, pre-sale and annual safety assessments, AI labels, and a civil penalty up to $50,000 per violation plus mandatory recall. It had a House Economic Matters hearing set for March 3, 2026 and died when the 2026 session ended.
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
None: the bill died and did not become law. It would have set content, consent, data, assessment and labeling duties for AI toy manufacturers, with penalties and recall.
Key provisions
- Would have added Commercial Law sections 14-5101 to 14-5108; violations are unfair, abusive or deceptive trade practices under Title 13, plus a civil penalty up to $50,000 per violation and mandatory recall of noncompliant toys
- AI toys could not generate sexual, violent, discriminatory or otherwise inappropriate content, be emotionally manipulative, encourage criminal activity, self-harm, substance use or sexual behavior, or infer a child's race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or political affiliation
- Parental consent mechanism, age-appropriate filters, content moderation, an automatic safe mode, and AI features and data collection disabled without consent
- Manufacturers could not transfer child user data to third parties, use it for targeted advertising or unrelated AI training, or keep it over 12 months without renewed parental consent; breach notice to parents within 48 hours
- Safety assessments before marketing, annually and after significant AI changes; products sold on or before July 1, 2026 assessed by January 1, 2027
- AI label (directly or by QR code) and a plain-language safety summary; the bill creates an AI Toy Safety Review Panel in the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division reporting by December 1, 2027 and yearly
- Would have taken effect July 1, 2026
Latest legislative action
Feb 18, 2026. Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m.; died when the Maryland General Assembly's 2026 session ended April 13, 2026
Sponsors (showing 5 of 45)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Amprey | Primary |
| Atterbeary | Primary |
| Bagnall | Primary |
| Boafo | Primary |
| Coley | Primary |
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