# California SB 243: Companion chatbots (Chapter 677, Statutes of 2025)

- **Record type**: Policy instrument
- **Jurisdiction**: California (United States)
- **Instrument type**: Act / statute
- **Status**: Adopted
- **Binding**: Yes
- **Issuing body**: California State Legislature
- **Adopted**: 2025-10-13

## In brief

The California companion chatbot law (SB 243) is a binding act of California (United States), issued by California State Legislature. It was adopted on 13 October 2025. Companion chatbot platforms offered to users in California. Every record here links to its official source and states its verification status.

## Summary

Operators of companion chatbots must disclose that the chatbot is AI and maintain a protocol for responding to suicidal ideation and self-harm that refers users to crisis services. Users known to be minors get break reminders and protection from sexual content. Annual reports to the Office of Suicide Prevention begin 1 July 2027, and a person injured by a violation can bring a civil action.

## Scope

Companion chatbot platforms offered to users in California.

## Who it applies to

Operators of companion chatbot platforms.

## Key dates

Chaptered 13 October 2025; annual reports from 1 July 2027.

## Notes on dates

The general effective date and the statutory damages figure were not confirmed.

## Provenance

- **Permanent id**: AIPT-POL-0210 (https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0210; never changes or gets reused)
- **Record page**: https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/us-california-sb-243-companion-chatbots
- **Official source**: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB243
- **Source document**: California Legislative Information: SB 243 (2025-2026) status
- **Published by**: California Legislative Information
- **Review status**: pending review
- **Confidence**: medium
- **Facts last confirmed**: never confirmed against the official source
- **Retrieved**: 2026-10-21
- **Licence**: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- **Cite as**: AIPolicyTracker (2026). "California SB 243: Companion chatbots (Chapter 677, Statutes of 2025)" [AIPT-POL-0210, record version 1, not yet verified]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0210 (accessed 21 October 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.