{"slug":"us-washington-eshb-2225-self-harm-protocol","id":"AIPT-OBL-0126","permanent_url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-OBL-0126","title":"Keep and run a protocol to detect suicidal ideation and self-harm and refer users to crisis resources","short_title":"Self-harm and suicide protocol","category":"risk_management","summary":"An operator may not make available or deploy an AI companion chatbot unless it maintains and implements a protocol for detecting and addressing users' suicidal ideation or expressions of self-harm. The protocol must include reasonable methods to identify expressions of suicidal ideation or self-harm, eating disorders included; give automated or human-mediated responses that refer users to appropriate crisis resources such as a suicide hotline or crisis text line; and include reasonable measures to prevent the chatbot generating content that encourages self-harm or describes how to do it.\n","practical_action":"Write the protocol down before launch: detection methods that cover eating disorders, a referral response naming crisis lines, and output safeguards against self-harm instructions or encouragement; test it and keep it in operation.","is_binding":true,"applies_from":"2027-01-01","section":"Sec. 5(1)-(2)","source_reference":"ESHB 2225 (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026), sec. 5(1) and (2)","official_source_url":"https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2025-26/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/House/2225-S.SL.pdf","review_status":"pending_review","confidence_level":"high","last_verified_at":null,"reviewed_by":null,"actors":["provider","deployer"],"sectors":["consumer_retail"],"use_cases":["health","customer_service"],"applicability":[],"evidence_examples":[{"title":"The written protocol, with its detection methods and referral messages","description":null,"artifact_type":"document"},{"title":"Test results for detection, referral and blocking of self-harm content","description":null,"artifact_type":"document"}],"framework_mappings":[],"controls":[{"slug":"genai-red-team-testing","title":"Adversarial and red-team testing for generative AI","kind":"technical","relationship":"supports","note":"Testing detection of self-harm expressions and that the model will not encourage or describe self-harm.","confidence_level":"medium","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/genai-red-team-testing"},{"slug":"ai-incident-management-and-reporting","title":"AI incident management and regulatory reporting","kind":"process","relationship":"supports","note":"An escalation path for crisis events, where the protocol uses human-mediated responses.","confidence_level":"low","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/ai-incident-management-and-reporting"}],"url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/us-washington-eshb-2225-self-harm-protocol","policy":{"slug":"us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-companion-chatbots","title":"Washington ESHB 2225: AI companion chatbots (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026)","status":"adopted","jurisdiction":"us-washington","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/us-washington-eshb-2225-ai-companion-chatbots"}}