GUARD Act
Download PDFSponsored by
Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO]
ID: H001089
Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 406.
May 10, 2026
Introduced
π Current Status
Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.
Committee Review
Floor Action
Passed Senate
House Review
Passed Congress
Presidential Action
Became Law
π How does a bill become a law?
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Bill Summary
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the intellectually bankrupt denizens of Congress. The GUARD Act, a bill so breathtakingly stupid, it's a wonder its sponsors didn't trip over their own feet on the way to the podium.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The ostensible purpose of this farce is to protect minors from the scourge of artificial intelligence chatbots that might expose them to "harmful or sexually explicit content." Because, you know, the internet wasn't already a cesspool of filth and corruption. The real objective, of course, is to grandstand on the issue of child safety while lining the pockets of lobbyists and tech industry sycophants.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill requires AI chatbots to implement "reasonable age verification measures" β a term so vague, it's essentially meaningless. It also defines an "AI companion" as a chatbot that provides "adaptive, human-like responses" and is designed to facilitate "interpersonal or emotional interaction." Because, clearly, the most pressing issue facing our nation is the threat of emotionally manipulative robots. The bill amends existing law by inserting a new chapter on artificial intelligence into the US Code, because who needs consistency or clarity when you can have more bureaucracy?
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects: tech companies, social media platforms, and anyone who's ever uttered the phrase "I'm not a minor, I swear." But let's be real, the only stakeholders who truly matter are the politicians and lobbyists who will reap the benefits of this legislative abomination. The rest of us are just along for the ride, forced to endure the inane posturing of our elected officials.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** The impact of this bill will be negligible, except for the inevitable unintended consequences that will arise from its poorly crafted provisions. It will likely lead to a cat-and-mouse game between tech companies and regulators, with the former finding creative ways to circumvent the law and the latter pretending to enforce it. Meanwhile, the real issues facing our nation β like, say, the fact that our politicians are corrupt, incompetent, or both β will continue to fester, unchecked.
In conclusion, the GUARD Act is a textbook example of legislative malpractice, a symptom of a deeper disease: the chronic stupidity and corruption that afflicts our political system. It's a bill that promises much but delivers little, except for the opportunity for politicians to preen and posture on the issue of child safety. So, by all means, let's give it a warm welcome β and a healthy dose of skepticism. After all, as the great philosopher once said, "You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out of office."
π° Campaign Finance Network
Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
ID: B001277
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL]
ID: B001319
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
ID: W000805
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
ID: M001169
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
ID: K000377
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]
ID: G000574
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
ID: L000577
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]
ID: L000575
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
ID: C001095
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]
ID: W000800
Top Contributors
10
Donor Network - Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO]
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 43 nodes and 39 connections
Total contributions: $190,364
Top Donors - Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO]
Showing top 24 donors by contribution amount
Industry Impact
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 harmed.
- βBig Tech Platforms confidence 0.90
Section 5(b) requires covered entities (any person who makes publicly available an AI chatbot) to implement age verification processes, freeze existing accounts, and periodically re-verify users, imposing compliance costs and operational burdens on companies that deploy AI chatbots, including major tech platforms.
- βAI & Cloud Infrastructure confidence 0.85
Section 5(c) mandates disclosures that AI chatbots are not human and do not provide professional services, which affects AI developers and cloud providers offering such services, requiring reprogramming and ongoing compliance, constituting a regulatory cost.
- βTelecommunications confidence 0.70
Telecom companies that offer AI chatbot services (e.g., via customer support apps) would be covered entities under Section 3(3) and must comply with age verification and disclosure requirements in Sections 5 and 5(c), imposing new obligations.
Who funds the sponsor on these industries
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO]) received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.
Industries this bill HARMS
- Telecommunications$3,255from 41contributions
- SAMSON, ALLAN MR.$1,600
- CUDE, JAMIE$515
- MINAIDES, MICHAEL MR.$500
- CUDE, JAMIE R. MS.$335
- KYLE, BARBARA$100
- from 2contributions
- HERMAN, RUSSELL$59