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S 264

Property tax exemptions

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Thomas Alexander and 11 co-sponsors

Requires clear disclosure that users are talking to a chatbot and makes chatbot statements legally binding like those of an employee under MA law.

Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
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Bill Summary · S 264

Summary — S.264 (2025): Protections for consumers interacting with artificial‑intelligence chatbots

Status & procedural history
- Bill number: S.264
- Title: An Act establishing protections for consumers interacting with artificial intelligence chatbots
- Filed/introduced: January 2025 (filed Jan 17; introduced/read Jan 28, 2025)
- Current status (per provided record): Referred to committee(s); hearings scheduled (hearing entries show Oct 1, 2025). The record supplied contains some inconsistent referral entries; the most recent committee actions include referrals to Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure and Investigations & Government Operations. Final action pending.

Purpose / intent
- Require commercial entities to be transparent and accountable when deploying automated conversational agents (“chatbots”) so consumers know when they are interacting with software rather than a human, and so representations made by chatbots carry legal effect.

Key provisions (chapter text establishes new Chapter 93M)
1. Definitions
- “Chatbot” means an automated program that simulates conversation with human users, using generative AI or similar technology; may communicate via text, audio, visual methods, or combinations.

  1. Clear disclosure requirement

    • Any commercial entity deploying a chatbot must “clearly and conspicuously” disclose to the person interacting with it that they are dealing with a chatbot, not a human.

  2. Legal effect of chatbot representations

    • Information or representations provided by a commercial-entity‑deployed chatbot shall have the same legal force and effect as statements made by an employee or agent of that entity.
    • A disclaimer (for example, saying “this is for informational purposes only”) is explicitly not a defense under this chapter, chapter 93A (Mass. consumer protection statute), or other Commonwealth law.

  3. Enforcement/Remedies

    • Violations are deemed an unfair method of competition and an unfair or deceptive act/practice in trade or commerce under section 2 of chapter 93A.
    • This links chatbot violations to existing enforcement mechanisms under Massachusetts consumer protection law (which allows enforcement by the Attorney General and private parties and provides for injunctive relief and monetary damages per chapter 93A).

Who is affected
- Commercial entities doing business in Massachusetts that deploy chatbots (businesses, service providers, customer‑service vendors, platform operators).
- Consumers who interact with chatbots in commercial contexts.
- AI vendors and integrators — will need to support disclosure and ensure representations meet legal-accountability expectations.

Potential impact and practical considerations
- Compliance: Businesses will need processes to disclose chatbot identity clearly and monitor chatbot outputs, because chatbot statements can create legal liability similar to employee statements.
- Liability: Tying chatbot outputs to agent/employee statements increases exposure under consumer protection law; disclaimers cannot insulate entities from claims.
- Enforcement: Existing chapter 93A procedures and remedies will apply; this may encourage more consumer and AG enforcement actions.
- Gaps not addressed: The text does not specify technical standards, penalties beyond chapter 93A remedies, thresholds for “commercial” use, or exemptions (e.g., internal tools or non‑commercial research). Implementation and regulatory guidance would be needed for operational details.

Related material / notes
- The bill text in the provided record lists Massachusetts sponsors (e.g., Mark C. Montigny); other metadata shown (different sponsors or related federal bills) appears inconsistent. The substantive summary above is based on the chapter text inserted as “CHAPTER 93M” in the bill.

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

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