SB 269 Virginia 2027 session
Mental health service providers; definitions, use of artificial intelligence system, civil penalty.
Use of artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers; civil penalty. Permits the use of an artificial intelligence system by mental health service providers to assist in providing therapy or counseling services if such mental health service provider maintains full responsibility for all interactions, outputs, and data use associated with the system. The bill prohibits the use of an artificial intelligence system to provide therapy or counseling services without a mental health service provider. The bill specifies that records kept by mental health service providers must comply with health records privacy requirements; creates an exception for religious counseling, peer support, or self-help materials and educational resources; and establishes a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for violations of the statute.
Status
- Introduced
- Committee
- Floor vote
- Passed
- Enacted
Passed one chamber — last recorded action July 21, 2026
Continued from last session
Passage likelihood
Not enough recorded signal to estimate this bill's chances.
State-level impact
State-level impact data is not available for this bill. The source text does not contain a per-state funding formula or scored breakdown, so no figures are shown.
Official actions
- Continued from last session
- Continued to next session in Communications, Technology and Innovation (Voice Vote)
- Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB269)
- Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation
- Read first time
- Placed on Calendar
- Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)
- Read second time
- Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Rules suspended
- Committee substitute printed 26106455D-S1
- Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
- Senate committee offered
- Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB269)
- Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
- Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104492D