# 119-s-4678: SIMS Act

119-s-4678, SIMS Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] (R-LA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4678
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4678
- Congress: 119
- Title: SIMS Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-06-03
- Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] (R-LA)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Ban on chatbots that simulate minors in sexual contexts.** This bill would make it a federal offense and create civil penalties for providing chatbots that portray or converse as minors in sexually explicit conduct or sexually explicit conversation. It defines key terms, sets exemptions, gives the Attorney General investigatory and rulemaking powers, and requires annual reporting to Congress. - Families and children: Would prohibit companies from offering AI that impersonates minors for sexual content, narrowing where that material can be created or distributed. - Developers and platforms: Would expose covered entities to criminal liability and civil fines up to $100,000 per violation, and it directs the Attorney General to use subpoenas, investigations, and rulemaking to enforce the ban. - Law enforcement and researchers: Provides exemptions for designated federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement working on child exploitation cases when conditions are met, allows research and red-teaming aimed at checking compliance, and clarifies users are not liable.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH] (R-OH), 2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New definitions for chatbots and minors: cost, low. If enacted, the bill would define key terms 180 days after enactment. 'Chatbot' would mean interactive software or services that mimic human conversation, create new responses not fully predetermined, and accept open-ended input. 'Covered entity' would mean anyone who owns or operates those chatbot…
- Ban chatbots that mimic minors: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would make it illegal for anyone who owns or operates a chatbot available in the United States to offer a chatbot that simulates a minor in sexually explicit conduct or sexually explicit conversation when the content is obscene and would violate criminal law. The Attorney Gener…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.
- 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona.
- 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina.
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.

## Sources
- [119-s-4678 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4678)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897)
- [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4678 (as of 2026-08-11).