News Florida AI Bill of Rights 2026

The Florida AI Bill of Rights (CS/SB 482) establishes rights for Florida residents regarding AI systems and restricts government contracts with certain AI entities. The bill passed the Florida Senate 35-2 on March 4, 2026, but died in the House during the regular session. On April 15, 2026, Governor Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session (April 28–May 1, 2026) to revive the legislation.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Key Provisions

Chatbot Minor Protections

Companion chatbot platforms must:

Prohibit minors from creating or maintaining accounts without parental or guardian consent^[1]
Provide parents and guardians access to children's AI interaction histories and tools to limit or supervise use^[1]
Deliver periodic notifications to users, including safety alerts for detected self-harm or harm to others^[1]
Clearly disclose to users that they are interacting with AI, not a human^[4]

Government AI Contracting Restrictions

Starting on dates specified in the bill (effective July 1, 2026, if enacted):

Governmental entities may not extend or renew contracts with specified entities for AI technology, software, or products^[1]
Local governments are barred from AI contracts unless providers meet strict transparency and deidentification requirements^[1]
No new contracts are permitted under circumstances including failure to deidentify user data^[1]
AI companies cannot sell or disclose user personal information unless it is deidentified^[1]

Consumer Protection

The Department of Legal Affairs gains rulemaking and enforcement authority under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA).^[1]^[4]

Legislative History

January 21, 2026: CS/SB 482 passed Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee^[1]
February 18, 2026: Passed Senate Appropriations Committee^[1]
March 4, 2026: Passed Florida Senate (35-2 vote), read and amended on the floor^[1]
March 5, 2026: Sent to the House^[1]
March 13, 2026: Bill died in House Messages^[1]
April 15, 2026: Governor DeSantis issued proclamation calling special legislative session (April 28–May 1, 2026) to consider the AI Bill of Rights alongside congressional redistricting and medical freedom measures^[2]^[3]
April 28, 2026: Special session scheduled to begin; Senate President Pro Tempore Brodeur plans to file identical legislation to CS/SB 482^[2]^[5]

Context

Florida's approach frames AI protections as individual rights rather than regulatory mandates, differing from disclosure-oriented laws in other states.^[6] The special session call signals strong executive backing, with DeSantis emphasizing the need to protect Floridians—especially minors—from AI harms by large technology companies.^[2]

The bill may face federal preemption challenges. The Commerce Department's assessment of state AI laws and the DOJ AI Litigation Task Force have targeted state laws that burden innovation or interstate commerce, though child safety provisions may be preserved.^[7]^[8]

House passage in the special session appears feasible given GOP control and strong Senate support, though the regular session failure demonstrates that House dynamics remain uncertain.^[5]

References

[flsenate-1] 1.00 ^1.01 ^1.02 ^1.03 ^1.04 ^1.05 ^1.06 ^1.07 ^1.08 ^1.09 ^1.10 ^1.11 ^1.12 ^1.13 Florida Senate: CS/SB 482 Bill Page

[special-session-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 Florida Senate: Special Session Memo, April 15, 2026

[proclamation-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Special Session Proclamation Amendment, April 15, 2026

[troutman-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Troutman Pepper: Proposed State AI Law Update — April 20, 2026

[flpolitics-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Florida Politics: Legislature Gets Ready to Debate AI Bill of Rights Again

[techpolicy-6] Tech Policy Press: March 2026 US Tech Policy Roundup

[bakerbotts-7] Baker Botts: March 2026 Federal Deadlines That Will Reshape the AI Regulatory Landscape

[stateaffairs-8] State Affairs: DeSantis Special Session on AI and Redistricting

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