News April 14 2026

April 14, 2026 — Daily digest of AI law developments.

This article consolidates 2 news stories from April 14, 2026.

Contents

1. Hawaii AI Bills Companion Deepfake 2. Nebraska LB 1185 Conversational AI Safety Act

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Hawaii AI Bills Companion Deepfake

April 14, 2026 (updated April 26) — Hawaii is advancing three significant AI bills through the 2026 legislative session, targeting AI companion safety for minors, AI operator disclosure requirements, and deepfake protections with advertising disclosure. All three bills have passed both chambers and are now in reconciliation as the session approaches its May 2, 2026 deadline.

HB 1782: AI Companion Safeguards for Minors

HB 1782 establishes a regulatory framework for interactions between AI companion systems and conversational AI services with users under 18. Notably, it defines "minor" as anyone under 18, broader than the federal COPPA threshold of 13 years.

Key provisions:

• AI providers that know or reasonably should know a user is a minor must clearly and conspicuously disclose the AI's non-human nature
• Crisis support protocols directing minors showing self-harm ideation to appropriate resources
• Data security requirements for minor user data
• Age verification and parental consent in specified cases
• Parental tools for setting time limits on AI companion use
• Measures to prevent generation of sexually explicit content for minors
• Oversight and penalties for violations

Legislative history: The bill passed the House on March 10, 2026, and the Senate approved it with amendments on April 14, 2026 (31-0). The House disagreed with Senate amendments and returned the bill. As of April 24, 2026, the bill is in reconciliation between the chambers.

Industry group CCIA has opposed the bill, arguing that its broad definitions could chill innovation.

SB 3001: AI Operator Disclosure and Safety Act

SB 3001, the Artificial Intelligence Disclosure and Safety Act, targets operators of conversational AI services including chatbots, tutoring tools, and mental health apps.

Key provisions:

• Clear disclosure to users that they are interacting with AI, not a human
• Heightened safeguards for known or reasonably certain minor users, including conspicuous AI disclosure
• Restrictions on interactions with minor users to prevent harm
• Protocols to prevent suicidal ideation generated through AI interactions

Legislative history: The bill passed the Senate and advanced through the House Economic Development and Consumer Protection committee with a 6-0 vote in March 2026. The House passed the bill with amendments, but the Senate disagreed with the House amendments. As of April 24, 2026, the bill is in reconciliation.

HB 2137: Deepfake and Synthetic Performer Protections

HB 2137 adds a new chapter to the Hawaii Revised Statutes to regulate AI-generated content including realistic digital imitations, synthetic performers in advertising, and deepfake protections.

Key provisions:

• Part I: Regulates AI realistic digital imitations and provides deepfake protections, targeting unauthorized depictions
• Part II: Requires disclosure of synthetic performers in advertisements (e.g., AI-generated or altered images/videos of performers)
• Civil fines for failure to disclose synthetic performers in advertising
• Civil remedies for individuals harmed by unauthorized AI uses, including damages and injunctions

Legislative history: Introduced February 13, 2026, the bill advanced through House committees and passed to the Senate. The Senate named conferees on April 20, 2026, with a conference committee meeting scheduled for April 24, 2026. As of April 24, the bill has been approved by both chambers and is in reconciliation.

Significance

Hawaii's three-bill AI package represents one of the most comprehensive state-level AI legislative efforts of 2026, addressing chatbot safety, AI disclosure, and synthetic media in a single session. All three bills have now passed both chambers and are in reconciliation, signaling broad legislative support for AI regulation. The reconciliation process may produce amendments to resolve differences between House and Senate versions. Hawaii's legislative session ends May 2, 2026, creating urgency for final passage.

The bills parallel similar efforts in other states: HB 1782 aligns with Tennessee's CHAT Act and Nebraska's Conversational AI Safety Act on chatbot safety, while HB 2137's synthetic performer disclosure provisions mirror California's advertising transparency laws and Tennessee's ELVIS Act approach to protecting likenesses.

References

See individual article: Hawaii AI Bills Companion Deepfake

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Nebraska LB 1185 Conversational AI Safety Act

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed LB 1185, the Conversational Artificial Intelligence Safety Act, into law on April 14, 2026, establishing comprehensive consumer protections for publicly accessible conversational AI services. The legislation, which becomes operative July 1, 2027, addresses growing concerns about AI companions, chatbots that simulate human interaction, and their potential harms to minors and vulnerable users.

Provisions

Disclosure Requirements

The Act mandates that operators of conversational AI services must clearly disclose when users are interacting with artificial intelligence if a reasonable person could be misled into believing they are communicating with a human. For users under 18, disclosures must either: (1) appear as a persistent visible disclaimer, or (2) be displayed at the beginning of each session and at least every three hours during continuous interactions.

Prohibited Content for Minors

LB 1185 prohibits operators from using conversational AI to:

• Produce visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct involving minors
• Generate direct statements encouraging minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct
• Generate statements that sexually objectify minors
• Simulate human-like interactions through explicit claims of sentience, statements simulating emotional dependence, romantic or sexual innuendos, or role-playing adult-minor relationships

Operators must also adopt reasonable measures to prevent deceptive interactions with minors and provide disclosure information to parents and guardians of minor account holders ages 13 and older based on relevant risks.

Mental Health and Crisis Response

The legislation imposes specific safeguards regarding mental health. Operators cannot misrepresent conversational AI services as designed to provide professional mental or behavioral health care. Additionally, operators must adopt protocols to respond to prompts regarding suicidal ideation or self-harm by making reasonable efforts to refer users to crisis service providers such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or Crisis Text Line.

Enforcement

The Nebraska Attorney General has exclusive enforcement authority and may bring civil actions for violations on behalf of the state or aggrieved individuals. The Act provides a safe harbor for model developers, explicitly stating that developers of underlying AI models are not held liable for violations committed by third-party operators using those models to provide conversational AI services.

Legislative History

LB 1185 was introduced during the 109th Nebraska Legislature session. The bill passed unanimously through the legislature with a 49-0 vote. It was signed by Governor Pillen on April 14, 2026, shortly after companion legislation was enacted in the same session.

Effective Date and Implementation

The legislation becomes operative on July 1, 2027, giving operators approximately 15 months to implement compliance measures including updating user interfaces, establishing parental notification systems, and developing crisis response protocols.

Context and Significance

LB 1185 represents Nebraska's entry into the growing field of "AI companion" regulation, joining states like California, Oregon, and Tennessee that have enacted or are considering laws targeting AI chatbots and virtual companions. The legislation reflects bipartisan concern about the mental health impacts of AI systems designed to simulate human relationships, particularly among minors who may not recognize the artificial nature of such interactions.

The Act was attached to the Agricultural Data Privacy Act (LB 525) as part of a broader legislative package addressing data privacy and emerging technologies.

References

See individual article: Nebraska LB 1185 Conversational AI Safety Act

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