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

IOWA — Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (IA-01) 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.

"As a physician and a former Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, I am deeply concerned about the toll the digital world is taking on our youth's mental health. We cannot allow the mistakes of the social media era to be repeated with Artificial Intelligence," said Congresswoman Miller-Meeks. "Parents are crying out for help. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa has proven that we can protect kids from deceptive AI without crushing technological innovation. I am proud to introduce this common-sense, conservative legislation to ensure American children can learn from AI safely, without being manipulated or exposed to explicit content."

"Iowa is leading the way in responsible AI legislation, first at the state and now at the federal level. By preventing chatbots from posing as humans, our state law protects kids from dangerous mental-health outcomes. Congress should pass Representative Miller-Meeks' bill without delay to ensure no child in our nation is left unsafe." - Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds

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.

The legislation takes a pro-innovation, risk-based approach, explicitly exempting internal business tools, basic smart speakers, and B2B services to ensure American businesses remain at the forefront of the global AI economy.

To read the full bill text, click HERE. 

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