Washington state sent two AI regulation bills to Gov. Bob Ferguson on March 12, hours before the legislature adjourned for the year. HB 2225, which regulates artificial intelligence companion chatbots, passed the House on final concurrence 74-21 after the Senate approved it 43-5. HB 1170, which requires developers to embed provenance data in AI-generated images, audio, and video, cleared its final House vote 55-38 after a 46-3 Senate passage.
HB 2225 was a priority for Ferguson. The bill requires companion chatbot platforms to obtain parental consent before allowing minors to hold accounts, provide parents with copies of interactions and daily usage caps, and implement suicidal ideation detection and prevention protocols. Operators must notify users at least once per hour that they are communicating with an AI, not a human.
The chatbot bill relies on Washington’s Consumer Protection Act for enforcement, meaning any individual can sue a noncompliant platform. Aodhan Downey, western state policy manager for the Computer and Communications Industry Association, said the private right of action would expose developers to “additional liability that they probably aren’t comfortable with.”
HB 1170, sponsored by Rep. Clyde Shavers, takes a different approach to AI transparency. Rather than regulating chatbot behavior, it requires AI systems to disclose when content has been generated or altered — effectively mandating watermarks or embedded metadata in synthetic media. Amy Harris, director of government affairs for the Washington Technology Industry Association, called the bill “unworkable” during a Senate hearing, citing overly broad definitions and potential conflicts with other states’ laws.
Lawmakers in at least 27 states introduced chatbot regulation bills this year. The volume reflects growing alarm over reports linking youth suicides to extended chatbot interactions.
Sen. Lisa Wellman, who sponsored the chatbot bill’s Senate companion SB 5984, framed the legislation as overdue. Wellman, a former Apple executive, said she has not seen responsible oversight of products reaching consumers. Several other AI bills died during the session, including proposals to regulate high-risk AI systems and restrict algorithmic price setting.
Both bills now await Ferguson’s signature.
