GUARD Act
Latest action. Placed on Senate legislative calendarThe list of measures reported out of committee and eligible for floor action. Being on the calendar is not a promise of a vote.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) under General Orders. Calendar No. 406.
Guidelines for User Age-verification and Responsible Dialogue Act of 2026 or the GUARD Act
This bill establishes requirements for and limitations on entities that provide publicly available artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, including AI companions.
Under the bill, an AI chatbot is an application or program that simulates human conversation by generating responses to user prompts. An AI companion is a type of AI chatbot that simulates a sustained interpersonal relationship or emotional interaction with the user.
The bill makes it a federal crime to provide an AI chatbot that exposes minors to sexual content or encourages minors to commit suicide or carry out nonsuicidal self-injury, unlawful physical or sexual violence, or homicide. A violation is subject to a criminal fine of up to $250,000 per offense.
Additionally, the bill prohibits minors from accessing AI companions. Under the bill, an entity that provides an AI chatbot must require each individual who accesses an AI companion to set up a user account and must also verify that the user is an adult. A violation is subject to a civil penalty of up to $250,000 per violation.
Finally, the bill requires an AI chatbot that is publicly available to disclose that the AI chatbot is not a human and is not a licensed professional (e.g. doctor, lawyer, or therapist). A violation is subject to a civil penalty of up to $250,000 per violation.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to Senate" stage on May 11, 2026. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on May 11, 2026: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 406.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 118th Congress (2023-24), 274 of the 16,565 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 1.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced it on October 28, 2025, and 20 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 14 Democrats, 6 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on October 28, 2025, 364 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 169 days ago, on May 11, 2026.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 119th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2027 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers