News State AI Legislation Week April 24 2026

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April 24, 2026 — State AI legislation accelerated across the country this week, with Tennessee's CHAT Act and personhood bill heading to the governor, Hawaii moving three AI bills into reconciliation, Nebraska signing a chatbot safety law, and Alabama enacting AI insurance regulations as multiple state legislatures approach adjournment.[1][2]

Tennessee: CHAT Act and Personhood Bill Head to Governor

The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned on April 24, 2026, sending two major AI bills to Governor Bill Lee's desk:

  • SB 1700 (CHAT Act): Approved unanimously by the House on April 21 (90-0) after Senate passage on April 14 (31-0). The Curbing Harmful AI Technology Act establishes comprehensive chatbot safety and data privacy requirements. As of April 26, the bill awaits Governor Lee's signature. The governor has approximately until May 8 to sign or veto the bill before it becomes law without signature.[1]
  • SB 837 (AI Personhood): Passed the Senate (26-6) on April 6 and the House (93-2) on April 8, then sent to the governor on April 15. As of April 26, the bill awaits Governor Lee's signature. The bill explicitly excludes AI systems from the legal definitions of "human being," "life," and "natural person" under Tennessee law.[1]

Governor Lee has already signed SB 1580, prohibiting AI from representing itself as a mental health professional.[1]

Nebraska: Chatbot Safety Law Signed

Governor Jim Pillen signed LB 1185, the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Safety Act, into law on April 17, 2026, after the legislature approved the bill 49-0 on April 10. The law, which was attached to the Agricultural Data Privacy Act (LB 525) as a legislative vehicle, becomes operative July 1, 2027. It establishes comprehensive consumer protections for publicly accessible conversational AI services, including disclosure requirements and safety protocols.[1]

Nebraska's legislature adjourned April 17.[1]

Alabama: AI Insurance Regulation Enacted

Governor Kay Ivey signed SB 63 on April 17, 2026, making Alabama the latest state to regulate AI use in health insurance coverage determinations. The law imposes requirements on health insurers using AI systems to make or support decisions regarding coverage, prior authorization, and claims processing. Alabama's legislature had adjourned sine die on April 9.[1]

Hawaii: Three AI Bills Enter Reconciliation

Hawaii's legislature approved three AI-related bills that are now in reconciliation between chambers as the session approaches its May 2, 2026 deadline:

  • HB 1782: AI companion safeguards for minors — passed the House March 10, approved by Senate with amendments April 14 (31-0), House disagreed with amendments and returned the bill
  • SB 3001: AI operator disclosures and suicide prevention protocols — Senate passed the bill, House approved with amendments, Senate disagreed with House amendments
  • HB 2137: Deepfake protections and synthetic performer disclosure — advanced through both chambers, now in reconciliation[1][2]

Arizona: Three AI Bills Near Finish Line

As the Arizona legislature approached its April 25 adjournment, three AI-related bills remained in play:

  • SB 1786: AI content verification and provenance data requirements — passed the Senate March 3 and the House April 15, now in reconciliation
  • HB 2133: AI-related bill advancing through the legislature
  • A third AI bill under consideration[1]

Utah: Legislature Adjourns After Passing Nine AI Bills

Utah's legislative session adjourned after Governor Spencer Cox signed nine AI-related bills into law, making Utah one of the most active states in AI regulation for 2026. The package covers deepfakes, consumer protection, education policy, and government oversight.[1]

Significance

The week of April 21–26, 2026, saw multiple states reach legislative milestones as sessions neared adjournment. The convergence of chatbot safety bills across Tennessee, Nebraska, and Hawaii signals growing bipartisan consensus on regulating conversational AI, while Alabama's focused approach to AI in health insurance reflects the sector-specific regulatory strategy adopted by several states. With Tennessee and Nebraska both enacting chatbot safety laws and Hawaii poised to follow, 2026 is shaping up as a landmark year for state AI legislation.


Missouri: Taylor Swift Act Advances

The Missouri House of Representatives approved House Bill 1887, dubbed the Taylor Swift Act, on April 20, 2026, advancing it to the Senate. The bill creates both civil and criminal penalties for non-consensual disclosure of intimate or underage digital depictions, including AI-generated deepfakes, and expands to social media age verification and AI misuse prohibitions in its perfected version. Disclaimers such as "AI-generated" are not a defense under the bill. See Missouri HB 1887.[3][4]

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Transparency Coalition, "AI Legislative Update — April 24, 2026"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Troutman Pepper, "Proposed State AI Law Update — April 20, 2026"
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named transparency
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named mohouse
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