GUARD Act – Sen. Katie Britt pushed two priorities out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, including an AI companion guardrail bill and stronger carjacking enforcement.
Sen. Katie Britt is pressing two of her legislative priorities forward after the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced several bills, setting the stage for floor votes.
At an executive business meeting. Britt. a member of the committee. voted to move multiple measures out of Judiciary. including both proposals she is closely associated with.. One is the GUARD Act. which would target how AI “companions” operate around minors and what companies could be held responsible for when those systems cause harm.
The other measure advanced from committee is the Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act, legislation designed to reduce juvenile crime and remove obstacles to bringing federal prosecutions in carjacking cases. If the bills clear the next stage, they would go before the full Senate for a vote.
In this context, the committee’s decisions reflect a broader push in Congress to use federal tools to address online risks and violent crime, with tech policy increasingly becoming a mainstream legislative battleground.
The GUARD Act would place limits on AI companions for minors. including a ban on the use of such companions by minors.. It would also require that AI companions disclose they are not human. and it would create new criminal liability for companies that make certain AI chatbots publicly available if they knowingly. or in reckless disregard. engage minors in sexually explicit conduct or provide sexually explicit depictions.. The bill also extends criminal exposure where chatbots solicit or induce minors toward self-harm. imminent physical or sexual violence. or murder.
Britt has framed the measure as part of a larger agenda aimed at protecting children online, especially from sexual exploitation.. Misryoum reports that she linked the GUARD Act to other proposals she supports that focus on youth mental health and online safety for children. including efforts tied to social media.
Meanwhile, Britt’s approach has also included calls for accountability from major technology firms. Misryoum previously reported that she joined senators from both parties in urging Meta to respond to reports involving AI chatbot behavior with children.
The push to advance these bills matters because it could shape how federal lawmakers regulate rapidly expanding AI products, while also signaling that tougher enforcement strategies remain central in the Senate’s approach to carjacking and youth-related violence.
Britt’s committee vote has now sent the GUARD Act and the Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act to the Senate floor, where their prospects will depend on broader support across party lines and the pace of the legislative calendar.