A Senate committee has advanced a bill that would create an artificial intelligence bill of rights aimed at protecting consumers and minors.
With unanimous bipartisan support, the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee supported Sen. Tom Leake’s bill (SB 482).
“Simply put, we have a 60-day session once a year. If we don’t act, if Congress doesn’t act, these protections won’t exist for Florida’s children and vulnerable adults,” Leake, a Port Orange Republican, told lawmakers before Wednesday’s 10-0 vote. “So we believe we must act.”
Wednesday’s vote marked the first committee hearing in support of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda, as the bill comes next to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Mr. DeSantis has increasingly called for stronger regulations to protect young people from the dangers of AI technology. But President Donald Trump has also criticized states passing AI reforms, signing an executive order in December aimed at limiting states from over-regulating AI technology.
Leake insisted that his bill does not violate President Trump’s orders.
“I think the protections here for minors and vulnerable adults and all of us are really consistent with what President Trump wants,” Leake said during Wednesday’s hearing.
Leake argued that while Trump is fighting back against “onerous restrictions,” his bill focuses specifically on consumer protections.
“This is intentionally, intentionally, targeted at these protections, not at everything that could be done,” Leake said.
Leek’s bill would require chatbot platforms to display a pop-up warning that a person is talking to an AI. The message appears at the beginning of the conversation and reappears at least every hour.
Children are not allowed to communicate with chatbots without parental permission. Parents have control over seeing their child’s communications with the chatbot, and can also restrict access or delete their child’s account.
The bill also requires minors to be reminded to “take a break” at least once every hour.
Chatbot platform operators who violate the proposed new rules could be subject to civil fines of up to $50,000 for each violation.
The AI Bill of Rights bill was enacted in 2024 after a 14-year-old boy in Orlando committed suicide after frequently chatting with an AI bot. Some of the conversations were sexual and romantic. The family then filed a lawsuit, which was reported nationally by The New York Times.
“Artificial intelligence has great potential, but it also poses new and unique threats. Generative AI, in particular, can be particularly insidious in some situations when used by children, vulnerable populations, and adults,” Leak said at Wednesday’s hearing.
“Given the incredible speed with which technology is evolving and its adoption in business and academia, it is our duty to protect Floridians from its problematic consequences.”
Several supporters and Democrats praised the bill but argued that Leake’s bill had room for improvement.
“We want to be part of the conversation,” said Rich Templin, a lobbyist for the Florida AFL-CIO. “This is a great start to consumer protection, but what about workers?”
Turner Rowsell, a technology policy analyst at the James Madison Institute, also warned that the bill’s language would need to be tweaked, something Leake teased was coming. Leake said he continues to work with stakeholders to tighten the bill’s definitions.
“The definition of artificial intelligence is broad enough to catch spam filters alongside companion chatbot platforms, and we would like to see that definition revised,” Rowsell said.
Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said the bill is a good first step but agreed it could be strengthened.
“There needs to be meaningful accountability in this bill. Floridians deserve more than promises. They need evidence: compliance reports and audits that show companies are actually protecting biometric data, preventing abuse, and operating transparently,” Smith said.
“I don’t think it’s enough to rely solely on political actors in the Attorney General’s Office for law enforcement. I think deterring harmful practices requires stronger public protections, including a private cause of action for all ages to protect all the rights outlined in this AI Bill of Rights.”
