SB 1455 creates the “Guidelines for User Age-Verification and Responsible Dialogue Act of 2026” (the “GUARD Act”) and establishes a new state law governing artificial intelligence chatbots made available in Missouri. The bill defines categories such as “AI companion,” “artificial intelligence chatbot,” “covered entity,” and “minor,” and requires covered entities to use a reasonable age verification process before allowing users to access chatbots. It also requires user accounts for chatbot access, periodic re-verification of existing accounts, and special restrictions that prohibit minors from accessing AI companions if the age check shows the user is under 18.
The bill separately prohibits developers or operators from making chatbots available if they knowingly or recklessly allow the chatbot to solicit, encourage, or induce minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct or create sexually explicit material. It also prohibits chatbots that encourage, promote, or coerce suicide, nonsuicidal self-injury, or imminent physical or sexual violence. In addition, chatbots must clearly disclose that they are artificial intelligence and not human, may not falsely present themselves as licensed professionals, and must tell users they do not provide medical, legal, financial, or psychological services.
SB 1455 would add section 1.2058 to Missouri law and create enforcement authority for the attorney general, including subpoenas, civil actions, injunctive relief, restitution, and civil penalties of up to $100,000 per violation. The bill also imposes data-handling requirements on age-verification information, including minimizing collection, using encryption, limiting retention, and prohibiting sharing or selling the data. It would therefore affect chatbot operators, AI platform providers, and any entity offering interactive AI services to Missouri users.
Because no committee transcripts or votes were provided, the available record does not show formal legislative debate or recorded support/opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a strong consumer-protection and child-safety approach, with particular emphasis on preventing harmful interactions involving minors and ensuring users understand they are interacting with AI rather than a person. The main likely points of contention are the scope and feasibility of age verification, privacy concerns over collecting and storing age data, the compliance burden on AI providers, and whether the restrictions could be overbroad for general-purpose chatbot services.
SB 1455 would add a new section to Chapter 1, RSMo, creating state-level requirements for AI chatbot operators that make services available in Missouri. It would impose mandatory age verification, account creation, disclosure, and content-safety obligations, while also authorizing attorney general enforcement and civil penalties. The bill would directly affect AI platform operators, chatbot developers, and any covered entity offering interactive AI services, especially AI companions and systems that could be used by minors.
No committee discussion or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize from debate or roll calls. From the bill text, the measure appears generally protective and regulatory in tone, aimed at child safety, suicide prevention, and transparency about AI identity and limitations. The structure suggests support for stronger oversight of AI chatbots, but the absence of recorded testimony means opposition or support cannot be confirmed from the available materials.
The most likely areas of contention are the age-verification mandate, the privacy and data-security obligations tied to collecting age data, and the breadth of the restrictions on chatbot design and operation. AI companies may object to the cost and technical difficulty of verifying users, especially if third-party verification is required, while privacy advocates may be concerned about retention and handling of sensitive identity data. Another likely dispute is whether the bill’s definitions and prohibitions are narrow enough to avoid sweeping in general-purpose AI tools or legitimate therapeutic, educational, or customer-service applications.