UT HB0438

Enacts the Companion Chatbot Safety Act to regulate AI chatbots designed to simulate ongoing relationships or emotional connections with users, requiring operators to comply with Utah's Consumer Privacy Act and prevent chatbots from encouraging suicide, self-harm, or harm to others.

Establishes enhanced protections for minor users, including mandatory break reminders every three hours, default opt-out from targeted advertising, prohibition on selling minors' personal data, and required parental tools to control data retention, training usage, time limits, and account access.

Prohibits companion chatbots from directing minors to harmful material, encouraging illegal substance use, sexual conduct, self-harm, eating disorders, or other risky behaviors, and limits data collection from minors to what is necessary for core chatbot functioning.

Grants enforcement authority to the Division of Consumer Protection with administrative fines up to $2,500 per violation, court-imposed fines up to $2,500 per violation, and civil penalties up to $50,000 for violating administrative or court orders.

Requires operators to submit annual reports to the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy on crisis referrals issued and suicide/self-harm prevention methods, with the bill taking effect August 1, 2026.