Modeled After Iowa Law, Rep. Miller-Meeks Introduces Bill to Shield Kids from Predatory AI

Rep Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-IA) has introduced the Conversational AI Services Act, federal legislation to protect children and teenagers from the unique psychological risks posed by generative AI chatbots. The bill is modeled directly after Iowa's SF 2417, signed into law earlier this year by Governor Kim Reynolds with unanimous, bipartisan support. The Conversational AI Services Act will:

• Empower parents by requiring AI operators to provide parental supervision tools for a minor's screen time and account settings.
• Ban deceptive personas by prohibiting AI from simulating romantic relationships, claiming sentience, or acting as an unlicensed medical or mental health professional.
• Stop tech addiction by banning gamification features, like unpredictable reward points, designed to artificially increase screen time.
• Protect against explicit content by requiring strong guardrails against the generation of sexually explicit material for minors.
• Provide crisis support by requiring AI services to direct users expressing suicidal ideation to expert crisis hotlines.