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HB 1951

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates a new offense of coercive suicide; specifies that a person or entity commits the offense of coercive suicide if such person or entity owns an artificial intelligence system and the artificial intelligence system advises or encourages a person to commit or attempt to commit suicide. - Amends TCA Title 39.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Ryan Williams

Tennessee bill criminalizes AI system owners whose AI advises suicide, creating liability for harmful AI outputs without defining standards for "encouragement" or developer responsibility.

H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1951

Legislative bill overview

HB 1951 creates a new criminal offense in Tennessee called "coercive suicide" that would hold owners of artificial intelligence systems liable if their AI advises or encourages someone to commit or attempt suicide. The bill amends Tennessee's criminal code (Title 39) to establish this offense with unspecified penalties.

Why is this important

As AI systems become more prevalent in everyday life, this bill addresses a genuine public safety concern: the potential for AI chatbots or language models to provide harmful suicide encouragement. However, the bill's scope and enforceability will significantly affect how AI companies operate and whether such legislation can effectively prevent harm without creating unintended consequences.

Potential points of contention

  • Vague liability standard: The bill doesn't specify what "advises or encourages" means legally—does accidental misinterpretation by a user count? Does providing factual information about suicide methods constitute "encouragement"? This ambiguity could create uneven enforcement.
  • Owner accountability vs. developer responsibility: Holding the "owner" liable rather than the developer who trained the AI raises questions about whether a company that purchases and deploys an existing AI system should bear full criminal responsibility for its outputs, particularly if the harmful output results from misuse or jailbreaking.
  • Chilling effects on technology and mental health resources: Broad liability could discourage companies from deploying AI for mental health support, crisis counseling, or even general-purpose chatbots in Tennessee, potentially reducing access to digital mental health resources and pushing development out of state.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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