HB 26-1263, signed May 29, 2026, took effect August 12, 2026; from January 1, 2027 it requires operators of publicly accessible conversational AI services to disclose that users are interacting with AI, maintain protocols for users expressing suicidal ideation, estimate user age and apply safeguards for minors, refrain from presenting AI output as coming from a licensed professional, and, from July 1, 2027, report annually to the Colorado Attorney General. The AG's August 11, 2026 proposed rules implement it alongside the ADMT Act.
OFFICIAL TEXT: leg.colorado.gov ↗ · FINAL · APPLIES FROM JAN 1, 2027 · COLORADO AI ACT
| Document | HB 26-1263 — Conversational Artificial Intelligence Service Operator Requirements (Chatbot Safety Act) |
| Issued by | Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act (SB 24-205), repealed and reenacted as the Automated Decision-Making Technology Act (SB 26-189) — enforced by the Colorado Attorney General |
| Type | Statute |
| Status | Final · applies from Jan 1, 2027 |
| Published | May 29, 2026 |
| Effective | Jan 1, 2027 |
| Applies to | Operators of conversational AI services accessible to the public in Colorado, including bank customer-service chatbots |
| Official source | leg.colorado.gov ↗ |
| Use cases | Customer-facing chatbots · Generative & agentic AI · AI governance (general) |
What are the key points of HB 26-1263?
- Signed May 29, 2026 (bill history: Governor Signed); the act took effect August 12, 2026, and its operator duties apply from January 1, 2027 (annual reporting from July 1, 2027); implemented through the same AG rulemaking as SB 26-189
- All operators must clearly disclose that the service uses artificial intelligence
- Operators must implement protocols for detecting and responding to expressions of suicidal ideation or self-harm
- Age estimation required; for minors, engagement-maximizing rewards and sexually explicit content are prohibited and privacy-management tools must be provided
- Prohibits misrepresenting AI outputs as advice from a licensed professional
- Annual reporting to the Colorado Attorney General from July 1, 2027
What did HB 26-1263 change for banks?
It adds a second Colorado AI statute that reaches banks through their customer-facing chatbots and virtual assistants rather than through credit decisions. Disclosure that a customer is talking to AI, crisis-response protocols, and the bar on implying licensed-professional advice all bear directly on retail-banking assistants deployed to Colorado customers.
Does Colorado's Chatbot Safety Act apply to a bank's customer-service chatbot?
If the chatbot is a conversational AI service accessible to the public in Colorado, yes: the operator must disclose that it is AI, maintain crisis-response protocols, and meet the age-related duties from January 1, 2027, with annual reporting from July 1, 2027.
| Date | Document | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2026 | Colorado AG proposed ADMT rules — Proposed Automated Decision-Making Technology and Conversational AI Service Rules (Notice of Rulemaking Hearing) | Comment period open |
| May 14, 2026 | SB 26-189 — Automated Decision-Making Technology Act (repeal and reenactment of the Colorado AI Act) | Final |
| Aug 28, 2025 | SB 25B-004 — Artificial Intelligence Consumer Protections — delay of effective date to June 30, 2026 | Superseded |
| May 17, 2024 | SB 24-205 — Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence (Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act) | Superseded |
| Jul 6, 2021 | Colorado SB 21-169 and Regulation 10-1-1 — Protecting Consumers from Unfair Discrimination in Insurance Practices (SB21-169, C.R.S. § 10-3-1104.9) and Colorado Insurance Regulation 10-1-1 (3 CCR 702-10) | In force |
| Sep 28, 2026 | AB 1609 — Customer Service Chatbots (Right to Human Customer Service Act) | Final |
Which banks' AI programmes does HB 26-1263 reach?
1 of the 120 largest US banks profiled on this site cite HB 26-1263 among the documents their AI work answers to.
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