# Virginia HB635: Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act; established, prohibited practices, penalties.

Virginia HB635, Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act; established, prohibited practices, penalties., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Michelle Lopes Maldonado (Democratic); status in committee, last action 2026-02-09 (Continued to 2027 in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote)) (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB635-2026
- As of: 2026-10-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB635
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act; established, prohibited practices, penalties.
- Status: in committee
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-02-09, Continued to 2027 in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote)
- Sponsor: Michelle Lopes Maldonado (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Technology and Innovation
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (0 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act established; prohibited practices; penalties. Creates the Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Act, which prohibits an operator from making a companion chatbot, as those terms are defined in the bill, available to a user in the Commonwealth unless the companion chatbot is incapable of certain actions specified in the bill. The bill also requires an operator of a companion chatbot to include a disclaimer to users of all ages that a companion chatbot is not a human via a static, persistent disclosure and notify a user via a pop-up that he is not engaging with a human counterpart at specified intervals. The bill makes it unlawful for any operator of a companion chatbot to operate or provide a companion chatbot to a user unless such companion chatbot contains a protocol to take reasonable efforts for detecting and addressing expressions of suicidal ideation or self-harm by a user to the companion chatbot. The bill also includes certain data privacy and transparency requirements. The bill provides that a violation of its provisions constitutes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Michelle Lopes Maldonado (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-02-09 | House | Continued to 2027 in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2027 (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |

## Actions (6)

- 2026-02-09: Continued to 2027 in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2026-02-04: House subcommittee offered (House)
- 2026-02-04: Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2027 (Voice Vote) (House)
- 2026-01-29: Assigned HST sub: Technology and Innovation (House)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation (House)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105121D (House)

## Bill text

- Substitute, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115797.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115796.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085274.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085273.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115797.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115796.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085274.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085273.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
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- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB635-2026 (as of 2026-10-11).