Addictive Design Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
Introduced
Summary
Reduce harms from addictive AI chatbot designs on youth mental health. This bill would create an interagency Task Force to review research, identify warning signs and addictive design risks, and publish clear recommendations to help minimize unhealthy emotional attachment and other mental health harms.
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- Families and youth: The Task Force would identify warning signs in young chatbot users and recommend how to provide information on licensed mental health services to youths who show risk.
- Platforms and covered entities: They would receive best practices for spotting addictive design features and for identifying and responding to youth mental health outcomes.
- Researchers and policymakers: The Task Force would be set up within 60 days, review research conducted under section 4(a), publish recommendations on the Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration websites, and the Commissioner must report to Congress within 1 year after that research finishes. The Task Force would terminate 60 days after that report is submitted.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Ban Addictive Chatbot Features for Youth
If enacted, covered companies could not make AI chatbots with specified "addictive design features" available to youth under age 18 in the United States. Examples include typing bubbles, avatars, storing past-conversation personal data, charging to continue a conversation, maintaining a chat longer than two hours, or impersonating a real person. If a company used age verification, it would have to collect only the data strictly needed to determine age and delete that data within 24 hours. The Attorney General would be able to seek injunctive relief and assess a civil penalty of $5,000 for each violation.
Grants to Train Parents and Teachers
If enacted, the Secretary of Health and Human Services would be able to award grants to 501(c)(3) and community groups to train parents, legal guardians, and covered teachers. The training would teach how to spot and respond to warning signs from AI chatbots, including unhealthy attachment and addiction, and how to talk with youth. Congress would authorize $5,000,000 total to run the program for fiscal years 2027 through 2032. HHS would have to report to congressional committees on each grant recipient and how much they received.
Task Force on Youth AI Mental Health
If enacted, the President would have 60 days to create an interagency Task Force to review research on addictive AI chatbot features and youth mental health. The Task Force would include federal officials and nonpolitical experts and would be led by a commissioner chosen by members. It would publish recommendations on HHS and SAMHSA websites and must send a report to appropriate congressional committees within one year after the related research projects finish. The Task Force would end 60 days after it submits that report.
College Research Grants and Data Access
If enacted, HHS would be able to award grants to institutions of higher education to study how AI chatbots affect youth mental health. Grant recipients would need to show safe data storage and could request relevant data from covered entities, which must remove identifying information before sharing. Congress would authorize $3,000,000 total for fiscal years 2027 through 2032. The Attorney General could seek injunctive relief and assess civil penalties up to $10,000,000 per violation if a covered entity fails to provide required data.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
VT • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]
PA • D
Sponsored 7/27/2026
Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/27/2026
Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Sponsored 7/27/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov