# Publish the self-harm protocol and the number of crisis referral notifications issued in the preceding calendar year

- **Record type**: Obligation
- **Instrument**: Washington ESHB 2225: AI companion chatbots (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026)
- **Jurisdiction**: Washington State (United States)
- **Category**: transparency
- **Binding**: Yes
- **Applies from**: 2027-01-01
- **Provision**: ESHB 2225 (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026), sec. 5(3)

## In brief

Publish the self-harm protocol and the number of crisis referral notifications issued in the preceding calendar year is a legal requirement under the Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225) in Washington State (United States) (ESHB 2225 (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026), sec. 5(3)). It applies from 1 January 2027. The record carries 2 evidence examples.

## What the duty requires

The operator must publicly disclose the details of its section 5 protocols on its website or websites and within any mobile or web application through which the AI companion is offered. The disclosure covers the safeguards used to detect and respond to expressions of suicidal ideation or self-harm, and the number of crisis referral notifications issued to users in the preceding calendar year. The act does not set a date by which the disclosure must be updated.

## What an organisation does about it

Publish a protocol page on the website and inside the app, count every crisis referral notification issued, and add the previous calendar year's total to the page.

## Controls that meet this duty

- AI interaction and use disclosure notices (supports): https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/ai-interaction-and-use-disclosure
- Automatic event logging and record retention (supports): https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/record-keeping-and-logging

## Parent instrument

- Washington ESHB 2225: AI companion chatbots (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026)
  - Record: https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-companion-chatbots
  - Context file: https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-companion-chatbots.md

## Provenance

- **Permanent id**: AIPT-OBL-0127 (https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-OBL-0127; never changes or gets reused)
- **Record page**: https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/us-washington-eshb-2225-protocol-publication
- **Official source**: https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2025-26/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/House/2225-S.SL.pdf
- **Provision**: ESHB 2225 (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026), sec. 5(3)
- **Review status**: pending review
- **Confidence**: high
- **Facts last confirmed**: never confirmed against the official source
- **Retrieved**: 2026-11-13
- **Licence**: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- **Cite as**: AIPolicyTracker (2026). "Publish the self-harm protocol and the number of crisis referral notifications issued in the preceding calendar year (Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225))" [AIPT-OBL-0127, not yet verified]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-OBL-0127 (accessed 13 November 2026).

> This record is a structured summary with a link to the official text. It is not legal advice. Open the official source before relying on any date or duty. How current each record type must be is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/verification; what a record must carry at all is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/coverage.