# Keep and run a protocol to detect suicidal ideation and self-harm and refer users to crisis resources

- **Record type**: Obligation
- **Instrument**: Washington ESHB 2225: AI companion chatbots (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026)
- **Jurisdiction**: Washington State (United States)
- **Category**: risk_management
- **Binding**: Yes
- **Applies from**: 2027-01-01
- **Provision**: ESHB 2225 (Chapter 168, Laws of 2026), sec. 5(1) and (2)

## In brief

Keep and run a protocol to detect suicidal ideation and self-harm and refer users to crisis resources 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(1) and (2)). It applies from 1 January 2027. The record carries 2 evidence examples.

## What the duty requires

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.

## What an organisation does about it

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.

## Controls that meet this duty

- Adversarial and red-team testing for generative AI (supports): https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/genai-red-team-testing
- AI incident management and regulatory reporting (supports): https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/ai-incident-management-and-reporting

## 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-0126 (https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-OBL-0126; never changes or gets reused)
- **Record page**: https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/us-washington-eshb-2225-self-harm-protocol
- **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(1) and (2)
- **Review status**: pending review
- **Confidence**: high
- **Facts last confirmed**: never confirmed against the official source
- **Retrieved**: 2026-11-12
- **Licence**: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- **Cite as**: AIPolicyTracker (2026). "Keep and run a protocol to detect suicidal ideation and self-harm and refer users to crisis resources (Washington AI companion chatbot law (ESHB 2225))" [AIPT-OBL-0126, not yet verified]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-OBL-0126 (accessed 12 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.